


Cursed

by yuki_onna_sicarius



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, archive warnings may change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-07-27 23:32:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 36,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16229582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuki_onna_sicarius/pseuds/yuki_onna_sicarius
Summary: When Beau pisses off a wizard, because of course she does, she is cursed. The Mighty Nein have to find a way to break her curse before it becomes permanent.





	1. Chapter 1

Taverns. They never were good places for Beau, packed full of people she either wanted to fight or fuck, sometimes both, and bursting at the seams with booze. Booze and Beau didn't mix well. Her already brash behavior was only intensified under the influence of booze.

She stared down the wizard in front of her, an old fucker named Harry apparently, never breaking eye contact as downed her drink. She slammed the cup on the table as he continued with his own, taking his sweet time. "Looks like the old hairy wizard can't handle his liquor," Beau jested, watching as he slowly lowered his cup to the table. "Perhaps you should have taken on another competitor."

"Oh, no, I got exactly what I wanted," Harry replied, a low chuckle leaving his throat. "You've shown your true colors to me, Beauregard." She lifted a confused eyebrow at him before he suddenly gripped her wrist tightly. She tried to rip her arm from his grasp, but he was surprisingly strong. "Can't even help out an old man like myself," he said. "Too bad, you seemed quite promising."

"Wha-" Beau's words were cut off by a searing pain in her arm that caused her to scream in pain. She prided herself on being able to control herself in painful situations, but this, whatever  _this_ was, forced it out of her. She saw ancient runes creep up her arm with an eerie orange glow, burning the flesh around them. When Harry the wizard let go of her arm, the cooling sensation of aloe vera on a burn ran up her arm. It still hurt, just in a new way.

"Next time, I think you will consider your options more carefully," Harry said before leaving her at the table on her own. She slumped down across it, cradling her arm close to her chest, nursing it as best she could in her tipsy state. She looked down at the runes again, which were now a dull gray. She would have to ask Caleb about it in the morning, but he'd turned in for the night early, so she would let him rest. She didn't feel any weirder, save for the pain, so she figured she was safe to sleep as well. Pushing herself to her feet, she dragged herself to her and Jester's shared room.

Nott walked out of one of the rooms the Nein had rented for the night, looking tired. "You and Caleb have a fight?" Beau asked, noting the way Nott had practically run out of the room. The smaller woman jumped and looked at Beau before shaking her head.

"I'm actually rooming with Fjord tonight," Nott replied. "Molly's with Caleb, and..."

Beau nodded in understanding. Nott and Molly didn't see eye to eye most of the time, and trying to figure out a sleeping arrangement with him was clearly not something the goblin woman wanted to do.

"He crashed in bed with him."

This time, Beau was confused. Who crashed with who? Molly and Caleb had made their way up to bed at the same time. But she realized quickly that it didn't matter, what did matter was that they were crashed in the same room, which only added to her suspicions.

"I take it you and Fjord aren't doing too well?" Beau asked.

"Eh," Nott replied with a shrug, "it's okay. He isn't really bothering me or anything, just...it's different."

"Well, you're free to join me and Jester if you want. Might be a bit packed, but you know Jester. She won't have a problem sharing a bed with you."

Nott smiled in appreciation at the offer, but said she was fine sharing with Fjord. Yasha had made arrangements to meet with them in the morning, as that would be when she would be arriving in this god forsaken village. "Really, I just needed the loo," Nott explained. "I have no idea where it is."

A sudden wave of nausea and pain shot through Beau's body, forcing her to lean against a wall for support. Nott reached up and took her hand, leading her to her room and helping her lay down. "Are you alright?" Nott whispered. Not very softly, but it was a whisper. Jester shifted a little in her bed, but didn't wake, fortunately.

"Just need some sleep," Beau replied. "Go find the bathroom, you need sleep, too."

Nott lingered for a moment, but nodded and left the room. When the room was silent, and the door closed and locked, Beau allowed herself to fall asleep.

Several hours later, Beau awoke to a strange sensation running through her veins. She groaned and rubbed her eyes, but something felt...off. Blinking several times, she pulled her hands away from her face and looked down at them, noting the small size. She squealed loudly and fell off her bed. Alerted by the sound, Jester shot up in her bed and looked down at Beau.

"Who are you?" she asked when she saw the little girl wrapped up in Beau's clothes. "And why are you wearing Beau's clothes?"

"Jester, it's me!" Beau exclaimed, waving her hands above her head, but the voice wasn't hers.

"Beau?" Jester asked. "What happened to you?"

"I don't know!" Beau whined. "I'm small!"

"Yes you are," Jester said, slipping off her bed to kneel in front of little Beau. "Do you-maybe we should talk to Caleb? He might know what happened."

Before Jester could say more, or suggest waiting until morning, Beau had darted from the room at the mention of the wizard. She pounded on the door of one of the rooms they had rented before pushing it open. Luckily, it was the one she was looking for.

She tried to climb onto the bed, but the combination of the bed being too high and it being too full of _people_ , Beau couldn't make it onto said bed. There was shuffling on it before Caleb looked down at her with tired eyes. "I thought you said you locked the door," Molly's voice said, not far away. Beau scrunched up her face, finding the other bed completely empty and untouched.

"Ja, I did," Caleb replied.

"Fucking bullshit," Molly muttered. "We paid good money for a shitty room."

Caleb looked down at little Beau, tilting his head in confusion. "How did you get in here without triggering my alarm?" he asked.

"Caleb, it's me!" Beau exclaimed, bouncing up and down nervously, trying again to get onto the bed. "Help me!"

"What?" he asked, rubbing his face. He leaned down and picked her up, helping her get onto the bed. "Who are you? And how do you know my name?"

Jester came running into the room at that moment screaming, "Beau, don't wake...Caleb..." Her voice trailed off when she saw Caleb awake in bed and Beau sitting with him, Molly propped up on his elbows.

" _Beau!?_ " Caleb and Molly screeched at the same time. Beau threw her hands over her ears and kicked her legs out.

"Help me!" Beau yelled again. This time, Molly was the one with covered ears, hissing in pain.

"Can't we do this in the morning?" he asked and collapsed back against the pillows, clearly too tired to deal with anymore bullshit. "It's so late it's early and I'm nowhere near ready to get up."

"Jester, he's being mean to me!" Beau yelled and made to jump off the bed to her friend, but Caleb caught her before she could and forced her to sit down in front of him.

"You screamed at me until I woke up, so now we're finishing this," he complained and began to inspect her. His eyes immediately found the runes marring her arm, which he ran his fingers over. "How did you get these?" he asked.

"An asshole wizard gave them to me," Beau answered. She didn't squirm in his grip, his hand now cupping her arm gently as he inspected the runes with nothing but the firelight from the hall.

"I need more light," he commented softly to himself before casting Dancing Lights. Molly hissed in pain and threw his arms over his eyes, blocking the light from reaching them.

The sound of rushing feet soon approached the room, and suddenly Fjord's giant body was filling the door frame, his face angry. "What in the hell is going on in here!?" he yelled. "Some of us are trying to sleep!"

"Why is Molly and some small child in your bed, Caleb?" Nott asked as she moved around Fjord's legs to enter the room. She looked accusingly at Molly, who still had his arms thrown over his face.

"We were about to fuck until you all ran in here!" Molly yelled back. Caleb chose to ignore him, focusing on the marks on Beau's arm while Nott made an angry noise.

"Does it hurt?" he asked Beau, who was watching him intently, now beginning to squirm impatiently.

"No," Beau replied. "But I feel weird."

Caleb pushed back the sheets he was rested under, making both Beau and Molly whine, and walked over to his things. He rifled through them until he found a book he had recently gotten his hands on and began to flip through it.

"Fix me, Caleb!" Beau yelled. All Caleb did was put up a hand to quiet her. "Jester, Fjord!"

"Beau, hush," Caleb snapped. She snapped her mouth shut and sat like an obedient child, all eyes turning to the wizard as he traced his fingers over the page, turning it once, twice, and then snapped it shut. He let out a sigh, long and deep, rubbing his face in frustration as he walked back over to her. "How did you manage to piss of such a powerful wizard?" he asked her, hands on his hips.

"I..." Beau looked over at Jester, who looked at her just as expectantly. "I wouldn't give him money to get back to his home. But he seemed weird to me, like he was lying!" Her words came out rushed and defensive. "He said something about me needing to learn a lesson."

She felt her eyes fill with tears that she tried to blink back, but she found she couldn't. She rushed to the edge of the bed and jumped at Caleb, who scrambled to grab her before she fell to the ground and hurt herself.

"Beau, you can't jump around like that," he scolded, righting her in his arms. "You're going to hurt yourself."

"Put me back the right way!" Beau insisted, her little hands pounding against his chest.

"I can't," Caleb said, placing her on the ground and prying her hands away from his jacket. "I don't have that kind of power."

Beau froze and for a moment, it seemed she had accepted her fate. But fate was not on the Nein's side as she began to scream at the top of her lungs, running to Jester and trying to demand something from her, but no one could figure out what it was. "Hey, hey, it'll be okay," Jester promised, crouching down to pull Beau into a hug. "We'll figure this out, okay? But we can't think if we're tired, so let's go to bed for the night."

" _Please_ ," Molly begged.

Jester picked Beau up and walked her back across the hall to their room, placing her back on her bed. When she stood back up to walk to her own bed, Beau grabbed onto her arm and tried to pull her back down. "Do you want me to sleep with you?" she asked, getting a nod from Beau in return. Jester nodded and pushed back the covers enough for her to crawl under them, pulling Beau close to cuddle her comfortingly. She hummed softly until she knew Beau was asleep, then allowed herself to follow.


	2. Chapter 2

Yasha looked much bigger to Beau now that she was small, but she didn't have the same strange butterfly feeling in her gut. The barbarian woman looked down at her with wide eyes and mouth agape as she tried to take in the scene before her.

"I was gone for  _two days!_ " she exclaimed loudly. "Honestly, can you six not function without me?"

Molly shrugged in response. "Not really," he replied. "You're kind of our common sense."

Yasha placed delicate fingers to her forehead and took deep breaths. She wasn't much of a people person, and she didn't like to draw attention to herself, but she was about two bad comments away from blowing up on her team. How could things get so messed up in the span of two days? Beau turned into a child, everyone side-eyeing Caleb and Molly, and Nott trying to stab the latter with her knife when he wasn't looking. Maybe Yasha should inquire about that, but for now, Beau.

"Okay, okay," she said once she had calmed down, "so Beau pissed off a wizard and now we have to find a way to break her curse."

"Or it becomes permanent," Caleb added. He'd stayed up after Beau left the room and read what he could find on the curse while Molly curled up against him and fell back asleep. He looked over at Beau, who was clutching Jester's leg and hiding behind her as best she could, shyly hiding from everyone else in the tavern. Her long dark hair covered half her face, so Jester had braided it into two pigtails. It was strange to see the monk with long hair.

"We should talk to the tavern keeper," Fjord suggested, already making his way to the bar where she was serving the few people already awake. She was a pretty half-elf woman with long dark hair that was pulled back from her face lazily in the early morning hours and eyes a soft shade of green. She looked up when Fjord approached and smiled tiredly at him, glad to see a friendly face for once.

"Good morning," she greeted. "How can I help you?"

"Morning," Fjord greeted. "I was wondering if you can tell us about a wizard that was here last night with our friend Beau. It seems she got in a little trouble with him and we're trying to figure out what we can about him."

Her smile faded and her eyes darkened at the mention of the wizard. "You mean Harry," she said, her sweet voice tinged with disgust. "He stops in from time to time and terrorizes my customers. I've been losing work because of him, but I can't tell him to leave, he might curse me, too." She let out an angry huff and shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't tell you much more than that. He's a right bastard, that's for sure."

Beau walked up to the bar and took hold of Fjord's hand, which he took without a second thought. The tavern keeper looked down at her and gave Beau a sympathetic look. "His favorite curse," she said softly, almost apologetically.

"Does he come in on a specific day?" Fjord asked, trying to squeeze any information he can get out of the woman.

"'Fraid not," the half-elf woman replied. "He stops in whenever he feels like it. I think he knows it irritates me."

Beau looked between her and Fjord, then tried her best to climb onto one of the bar stools to get higher up. It was too high for her, though, so she couldn't make it, but Fjord, ever the gentleman, picked her up and plopped her onto it.

"Will I go back to normal?" Beau asked her.

"I hope so," the tavern keeper replied and patted her head. "Why don't I make you something to eat and drink, to make up for what happened?"

"That's mighty kind of you," Fjord replied before Beau could, "but what happened wasn't your fault."

"It happened in my tavern," the half-elf woman replied. "My customers are under my care and expect me to take care of them."

Caleb walked over at that moment. Beau looked up at him and said "Caleb, I can't stay like this." He patted her head and let out a sigh.

"We will do everything we can to break this spell," he told her. "I promise." Beau tried to choke back another sob, but she couldn't, instead reaching out to him to cry into his coat to hide her tears from everyone else. Without anything else he could do, Caleb stroked her hair, minding the braid Jester worked so hard on.

"I think you need a nap," Fjord said, picking her up off the stool and supporting her against his hip. "We should probably head out sooner rather than later."

"I'm hungry," Beau complained, rubbing her eyes with her tiny hands. Damn, she would never get used to that. The tavern keeper ducked into the back and came back out a few moments later with some crispy bacon and fresh eggs.

"It's not much," she said, "but I think it's good enough for a growing, cursed child." She smiled sweetly at Beau, who picked up a piece of bacon and started munching on it.

"Beau," Fjord said in a stern voice. Beau looked at him, then at the tavern keeper. "What do you say?"

Oh no, he was using that judgey dad voice Beau hated. She swallowed her mouthful of bacon and muttered a "thank you" before continuing to eat. The half-elf woman chuckled and produced a cup of milk for her. The rest of the Nein came over and ordered their own breakfast, choosing to drink either water or milk over ale, with the exception of Nott. She chose to chug on her never ending supply of alcohol. They easily found a table they could all occupy comfortably in the corner of the dining area. 

Beau sat between Fjord and Jester on the bench side of the table, making a mess as she tried to eat, dropping eggs all over the table. Jester ended up putting her on her lap so Beau would have an easier time, sitting at a better angle so she wouldn't drop as much. Caleb and Molly were talking softly with each other, but they weren't being lovey-dovey like Jester had expected. In fact, they looked like they were having a serious conversation in hushed tones, looking over at Beau from time to time. They seemed to be talking in a strange mix of common, Infernal, and one of the many languages Caleb knew, some kind of code language the two of them had made.

Jester opened her mouth to inquire about it, but their breakfast arrived at that time. "Looks yummy," she told the half-elf man that brought out their food. "Thank you very much." He nodded at her, a small smile on his lips, and asked if they needed anything else.

"Actually, dear," Molly said, leaning his cheek against his hand to look over at him, "if you can tell us anything about this Harry the Wizard person, that would be lovely."

The half-elf man let out a sigh and straightened up. "What's there to say?" he asked. "He shows up when he wants, fucks over customers, then disappears. Comes back when he feels like it to do it all over again. Your friend here isn't the first, and won't be his last, victim."

"Is there anything we can do to stop him?" Yasha asked.

"Not if you want to ask him how to fix her," the man replied. "The only thing you can do is take him out." He made a cutting motion over his throat.

"Well, I guess it's something," Molly whispered in Caleb's ear. "Can you work with that?"

"Not really," Caleb replied as their server walked away. "There's no starting point for us to work with. We have no idea where to look for him."

Yasha leaned over Molly to Caleb. "Does Harry have to be the wizard to break the spell, or can it be any wizard that's strong enough?" Molly tapped her nose softly in agreement, silently telling her it was a good question.

"Any curse can be broken by a spellcaster strong enough to break it," he explained. "You just have to find someone strong enough. Why, do you know someone?"

She leaned back a little and looked over at Beau. "In Zadash we met the Archmage. I believe his name was Trent Ikithon. He may be able to help us."

Beau's head snapped to Caleb, memories of the day he had told her and Nott about his past coming to mind. He had frozen and paled at the mention of the name, which she had expected.

"I, uh, know of him," he explained after a moment.

"We don't have to go," Beau told him quickly, trying to reach out and touch him arm, but hers were too small to reach him across the table. Beside him, at the table's end, Nott nodded her agreement, and she took his hand beneath the table. Molly's tail curled around his ankle. He could sense Caleb's sudden tension and the strange behavior from both Nott and Beau tipped him off to something being horribly wrong.

Caleb shook his head, gripping Nott's hand tightly. "No," he said, "we have to help Beau."

"Caleb-"

"No." He didn't raise his voice, but the strength with which he said it was alarming to the Nein all the same. It wasn't often Caleb spoke that sternly, and it left everyone at the table speechless.

"Is there a backup option?" Nott asked after several tense moments. "In case Trent doesn't help us?" The other members of the Nein looked at each other, but none offered up any suggestions.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Molly finally replied, taking a bite of bacon to hide the anxiety he was feeling. Something was very wrong with this situation, but he couldn't figure out what.

Seeing Molly eat again pushed the others to do so as well. They would need their strength if they were going to find anyone that could help Beau, which they knew would be a long journey. The only person not eating was Caleb.

After they were done with their meal, Jester brought out their map and laid it flat against the table. "So," she said, looking it over, "we're about one month away from Zadash," she said, pointing out their place on the map.

"That's by horse, though," Yasha pointed out. "But we don't have any anymore. All of the horses that survived the fight with the Iron Shepherds are with Caduceus."

The Nein shared another glance and let out a collective sigh. "Okay," Jester said, "I'm sure we can find more horses. With all the money we've collected during our time here hunting things, I'm sure we can afford a horse for everyone."

"Beau won't need one right now," Molly pointed out. "She's too small, she'll have to ride with someone else."

"How much time do we have before the curse becomes permanent?" Fjord asked Caleb, who rubbed his neck.

"It's hard to say for sure," the wizard replied. "Usually curses take at least a month to settle into permanence, but a strong wizard could, in theory, shorten that time frame. I can't say for sure."

"What's the shortest amount of time a curse has taken?" Nott asked, patting Caleb's hand softly, comfortingly. He tapped the back of her hand back, just as softly.

"I have only heard stories," Caleb answered, "but I heard of a person that was able to make curses stick as soon as he cast them. That kind of magic is very powerful, though, and one would have to be very old to learn to do it. Unless, of course, they are a curse-mage."

"A curse-mage?" Molly asked, lifting a questioning eyebrow at him. "What the hell is that?"

"It, uh, erm...I do not think there is a proper translation," Caleb explained. "It is someone who can only cast curses. But I do not know if they even exist."

"A Zemnian story?" Yasha asked.

"To scare children, ja."

"Not to sound offensive or anything," Fjord said, "but I think we need to work with something that's real."

Jester turned to him and made a face at him. "Just because something is a story told to children doesn't mean it's not real," she pointed out. "I mean, I've seen unicorns before, and you all think those are fake."

Fjord opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when Beau jumped off Jester's lap and rushed over to Caleb. She tugged on his arm. "Are they scary?" she asked him when he turned his attention to her. "The curse-mages?"

"I, uh...ja?" Caleb replied. He looked to the others for help.

"I think the curse is starting to sink in," Molly whispered in his ear. "She's thinking like a child."

Caleb looked back down at Beau and patted her head again. "I do not think you need to worry," he told her. "You have all of us to keep you safe." Beau made a soft whining noise and wrapped her arms tightly around Caleb's, a look of fright on her face. It was strange to see Beau look scared, but it was also strange to see her so young.

Just as Caleb lifted her onto his lap, their server arrived to clear the table. "Couldn't help but overhear you need horses," he commented and he stacked up the plates in a pile. "We've got some if you need them."

"You'd just give them to us?" Molly asked, looking less than trusting of the man. "No one just gives horses to some patrons of their inn without a price."

The man chuckled in reply. "The horses are more trouble than they're worth," he explained. "Someone just abandoned them here with their cart. We have a feeling they were fleeing from something. Anyway, we've been feeding the horses and caring for them, but we don't have the money to keep them much longer. You'd be doing us a good service taking them with you."

"Let's do it," Jester said. "We need them to cut down time to Zadash."

Beau cuddled with Caleb, leaning against his chest. "You smell like flowers," she commented.

"You're welcome," Molly said, smirking in delight. "I snuck his clothes away and had them washed."

"And made him take a bath," Fjord added, earning a laugh from everyone else. Caleb made a move to rub his neck again, but Beau made a noise, reminding him she was sitting in his lap.

"Shall we head out then?" Molly asked. Everyone agreed and stood up. Caleb placed Beau back on the ground and she ran back to Jester, who happily took her hand and led her out. Caleb made to follow the group, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. A very heavily jeweled hand.

He could feel Molly's breath on the bare skin of his neck when he spoke. "You didn't eat much," the tiefling commented. "You should take something for the road."

"I will be fine," Caleb replied. "I'm used to not having food for long periods of time."

Molly opened his mouth to protest, but Caleb slipped from his grasp and headed to the door. "I'll be out in a minute!" Molly called after him before making his way over to the bar. Caleb shrugged and waved, letting the tiefling know he had heard. The tavern keeper looked up when she heard Molly approach and smiled sweetly at him.

"How can I help you?" she asked as she wiped a mug dry.

"I was wondering," Molly answered, "if you have some food I can take with me on my journey. Afraid some of my companions aren't very good at taking care of themselves."

She tapped a finger to her lips in thought. "Hmm, I think I can do that," she replied. "Do you have any preference for what you would like?"

Molly shrugged. "I have a tiefling who's blood is probably pure sugar, a human and a goblin that live off of consuming nothing but bacon, _another_  human that eats basically nothing, and an orc and aasimar that will eat whatever is placed in front of them. Surprise me." The half-elf woman let out an awkward laugh at the information overload, but went into the kitchen to see what she could find. She came back out a few moments later carrying a couple plates with fabric wrapped around them.

"It's not much," she explained, "but I think there's something to satisfy everyone." Molly could smell the meat first, the scent the most powerful, but the sweet scent of pastries reached him. It was a much less powerful scent, but a welcome one. Whatever it was, Molly would have to take a little for himself. He paid her two gold before dashing outside with his purchase.

Yasha spotted him first. "What have you got there, Molly?" she asked, eyeing the folded cloth in his hands curiously. He lifted them up to eye level and smirked.

"Food," he answered and grinned cheekily, waving the plates in front of her. "In case we get hungry, which we will."

"Good thinking," Yasha commented as she climbed into the cart. "We have four horses, two of which are pulling the cart. Fjord's claimed one already, I think he named him Ranger if I remember correctly. We figured you'd want to ride on the other free one. And name her."

Molly smiled and unwrapped the sweeter smelling plate, pulling a small pastry from it. "A pastry for your kindness," he said sarcastically, handing it over to her. "Oi, Nott, come here!" he called suddenly, surprising Yasha, who jumped a little. The goblin woman let out a long sigh of suffering before making her way to the edge of the cart. When she saw the plates of food, she blinked before shaking her head.

"What do you want?" she asked, tapping one of her fingers against the wood beneath it.

Molly held out one of the smaller plates. "Make sure Caleb eats this, he didn't eat all of his breakfast," he instructed. "You know how he gets sometimes." She raised an eyebrow at him, but took the offered plate. "These two have a mix of sweet and savory foods, but we should keep them for as long as we can. It's going to be some time before we make it to the next city."

"Right," Nott said slowly, the word held out as if she was deep in thought.

"Thank you dear," he said and kissed her lightly on the forehead before making his way to the front of the cart, ignoring her screams of indignation. When he arrived at his destination, he saw Jester sitting at the front, ready to steer the cart with two of the horses.

Fjord looked up just then and waved him over. "Do you mind if Beau rides with you?" he asked.

"Uh..." Molly replied, looking down at the little girl who, deep down, he knew was their monk. "Can't she ride with you?"

"Not enough room, sadly," Fjord replied. "You're smaller than I am."

Molly forced his hand to stay by his side and not move to rub his face. He suddenly wanted to ride in the back of the cart, but he also loved riding the horses. Beau stomped her foot, which was answer enough for him.

"I don't want to ride with him," she pouted. "Why can't he steer the cart? Then I can ride with Jester."

Molly patted her head. "Trust me, Unpleasant One, I don't like this arrangement, either," Molly told her, "but if you want to ride on the horsie, you have to ride with me." Because now he was enjoying the thought of riding with her, and the misery it would cause her. "If it makes you feel better, I'll let you name the horse."

Beau stopped her tantrum and jutted her lip out in thought. Molly tilted his head at her pout. Finally she nodded and moved to the edge of the cart so he could help her down. "I want to name him Turtle," she said while Molly mounted the horse.

"Turtle?" he asked her as Fjord helped heft her on it in front of Molly. "Not that I don't like it, but why Turtle?"

"Because I like turtles," Beau replied. She looked up at Molly and smiled, and damnit, he couldn't resist smiling back. He patted her head again and took the reigns in his hands.

"Why don't we see how well Turtle reacts to commands," he suggested and got her walking at a nice, slow pace. It was comfortable, allowing both animal and master to get to know each other better, learn their way around each other. Beau giggled and clapped her hands. Molly took the reigns in one hand and wrapped the other around Beau, scared she would fall off with how much she was bouncing around.

"Hey, we're heading out!" Fjord called after several minutes of wandering around in circles near the cart. Molly and Beau were laughing when they heard the announcement, deflating slightly as they headed back. As they passed the back of the cart, Molly watched Caleb angrily rip a piece of bread apart with his mouth and chew it as forcefully as he could without breaking eye contact with the tiefling.

"I think he's mad at me," Molly whispered in Beau's ear, but there was humor in his voice.

"He's always mad at you," Beau shot back. Molly let out a fake gasp of offense and raised his free hand to his chest.

"I'm hurt Beau," he joked as they finally made it to the front of the cart. Jester flicked the reigns and the horses pulling the cart began to move. Molly turned back to look one more time at the city before they were gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm using some ideas from my own campaign because I needed plot stuff \\("/)/

It was a cold when Molly woke, curled up against Caleb's side. He pulled the thin blanket tighter around himself, shivering against the wizard, and shifted slightly. As he did, he heard a soft, squeaky groan, a sign that someone else was also waking. Blearily, he opened his eyes to look down at Nott, who was shifting herself against Caleb's lap. He forgot she'd taken up using his lap as a pillow, but Molly didn't mind. The top half of Caleb was the better half anyway.

What he did mind, though, was the temperature. He buried himself into Caleb's side, shivering violently, enough to wake the other man, apparently. He felt Caleb wrap an arm around him and his warm breath caress Molly's hair as he let out a shiver. "We need better blankets," he commented, softly enough that only Molly could hear.

"We'd have to stop in order to get them," Molly replied. "At least we have a covered wagon now." He wrapped his arms around Caleb and moved closer to him again, practically laying on top of him. "Tieflings aren't meant for the cold."

"Neither are humans," Caleb said, rubbing his hands together as best he could with Molly on top of him. "Not this cold, at least."

The pair looked over when they heard another soft groan, knowing it wasn't Nott that time. Beau was beginning to wake, shivering and pulling her blanket closer to her chin, curling up to try and limit the amount of cold air that touched her. It wasn't very effective.

"Beau," Caleb called, softly enough to not wake the others, but loud enough to get the small child's attention. When she looked at him, Caleb patted a spot beside him and snapped his fingers together, creating a small spark. Still wrapped in her blanket, Beau waddled over and plopped down beside him. Once he could get his fingers a little less numb, he was able to create a small magical fire.

Molly's head turned to face the open side of the cart, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What is it?" Caleb asked as Beau climbed on his lap to warm herself by the fire. "Not so close, Beau, you'll hurt yourself. Molly!"

Molly had crawled to the mouth of the canvas and lowered himself quietly out of the cart, swords drawn. He turned back and raised a finger to his lips in a quiet motion and started to leave, but was stopped by a small hand grabbing his collar. He turned to find Nott leaning out, gripping his coat.

"Don't you remember what happened the last time someone left the safety of our group at night?" she hissed at him. Molly growled.

"If you're so concerned, come with me," he snapped. "But I saw something suspicious that needs to be checked."

"You shouldn't go alone," Caleb said.

" _Then come with me,_ " Molly hissed again. He cut into his neck with his swords to light them both to make a point. "I'm going, regardless of what you choose to do."

Caleb growled and placed Beau down beside him before crawling over to the back of the cart. "The last time someone was kidnapped in the middle of the night, you almost died while we were trying to save them," he hissed. "Are you really going to throw your second chance at life away because you saw some animal running through the trees?"

"If it's just an animal," Molly pointed out, tension rising in his voice, "what are you so scared of?"

Just as Caleb and Nott were going to argue further, a shifting in the bushes grabbed their attention, all of their heads snapping to the location of the noise. Not even a moment later, a woman in a strange dress stumbled out of the trees, holding a small child in her arms. She began to speak to them in a language none of them could understand, a look of fear on her face.

"Does it feel...colder?" Molly asked softly.

"It's been colder," Nott replied.

"But..." Molly looked up to notice a shocking amount of snow begin to fall, "I don't think it was cold enough for this much snow."

The woman continued to approach them, speaking in her foreign tongue, looking scared. Caleb produced him component pouch and grabbed what he needed, casting the Comprehend Language spell.

"Please, my child," she said. She held the young child out toward him.

"What is wrong with her?" he asked, looking down. He felt a tug on his arms, a need to reach out and take the small child, but he refrained. Now that she was in the light of Molly's swords and the fire Caleb was able to maintain, he could see the woman was extremely pale with long, black hair and dark red lips. Usually, Caleb would describe such a woman as terrifying, like some demon creature, but this woman was strikingly beautiful, and she was alluring.

"Some of us are trying to sleep," came Jester's tired voice from the front of the cart, but she was already awake, leaning up and rubbing her eyes. "Who's talking so loudly."

"You, now," Fjord pointed out as he, too, rose from slumber. "What's going on?"

The two of them stood and walked to the back of the cart while Yasha arose from her own slumber. Fjord and Jester jumped out of the cart so they could see the woman before them. She held her child out to Fjord, who took her in his arms.

Something didn't feel right about this situation. Once the girl was securely in Fjord's arms, Molly saw her mother smirk just a little bit. Without thinking, he swung up his sword at her, trying to put some distance between her and his friend. "Fjord," he said firmly, "put the girl down." He had his sword pointed at the woman standing before them, who now had a full smirk on her lips.

" _He can't,_ " she said.

"Fjord!" Molly yelled, but the half-orc didn't move.

"Why can't he move?" Caleb asked the woman. She just let out a loud laugh. He looked over at Fjord to see ice slowly making its way up his legs, making it impossible for him to move.

"Fjord!" Jester yelled, but stopped what she was about to say as three sharp shards of ice struck her across the chest, ripping her dress. She fell to her knees and clutched her chest where blood was flowing freely, painting her blue skin red.

Molly turned to strike at the woman again, but she easily glided from his reach. Around her the snow began to swirl and come down, and where there had previously been a light snowfall there was now a blizzard. Ankle-deep snow made it hard for Molly to reach her again, but it didn't stop him from trying. Yasha jumped off the cart and grabbed her sword, stumbling with the effort to find footing. In the back of the cart, Beau whimpered and pulled all of the blankets on top of her, trying to hide from the scary woman.

"What the hell is she!?" Molly yelled in frustration. "Caleb!?"

"I don't know!" Caleb yelled back, desperately trying to search his mind while also trying to hold her off. The ice was now up to Fjord's knees, and it dawned on Caleb that he really couldn't move, that he was trying, but was under some kind of spell.

The woman they were fighting was fast. She could walk across the snow as if it weren't there while his companions struggled to move even an inch in the still increasing levels of snow. Yasha let out a loud scream as she went into one of her rages, but it didn't help much. Without being able to get to the woman, she wouldn't be able to hit her.

For a moment, Caleb felt useless. He was no good with a weapon, but...

He looked at the back of the cart where the fireball from earlier was still burning. He didn't like burning people alive, dreaded hearing their screams of pain, but she was  _killing_ his friends. His family. And so he waved his hand and the fireball flew forward, growing in size until it was as large as he could make it, which was more than enough for what he needed it to do. The woman saw it, but wasn't quick enough to avoid it. The fireball collided with her arm and burned, her screams of pain echoing through the night air.

She fell to the ground, burying her arm in the snow. Her child was crying and screaming, reaching out to her mother in a desperate attempt to get to her. The woman pushed herself back to her feet, her arm blackened from the fire. She gripped it tightly with her good arm, covering it with ice.

"Molly!" Caleb yelled and tossed him a torch. "Burn her!"

The woman turned her attention to Molly, who was attempting to light the torch, and glided over to him, caressing his face with one hand and drawing him close for an icy kiss. A burning sensation drove itself deep into the core of his body, leaving him weak as his inside felt like they were being pierced by knives. He shook violently and dropped the torch Caleb had given him, feeling the life leave his body.

Another blood-curdling scream left the woman's voice as she pulled away sharply from Molly, who fell to his hands and knees as he panted deeply. He looked up to see a crossbow bolt sticking out of her back and more blood flowing from her body. He looked over to see Fjord was now waist deep in ice.

He pushed one of his swords into the ground and leaned against it, but was too weak to push himself back to his feet. Yasha was by his side as quickly as she could in the snow, but he waved her off. "Don't waste your rage," he told her, his voice breathy with fatigue. "Go kick her ass."

Back on the cart, Caleb said "We need to get that child away from Fjord." Nott looked over just as the child made eye contact with her. Her icy blue eyes looked almost innocent, red-rimmed with tears as she continued to cry out to her mother. The goblin woman bit her lip in contemplation, but made up her mind.

"Hey, bitch!" she yelled at the pale woman terrorizing her friends. "I think your baby needs her Mama!" And a crossbow bolt flew threw the air, but not at the woman again.

Caleb froze in horror as it hit its target. The child slumped forward in Fjord's arms before falling to the ground. The half-orc gasped out loudly now that he could move, and covered his throat with one hand as it burned from the air entering it.

The woman looked on in horror at the sight before her. Her long black hair fell partially in her face, hiding her eyes that began to glow a soft blue. Her hands tensed at her side before she let out another scream, this one full of anger and pain. She turned to the cart and lunged for Nott, who squeaked and ducked out of the way. She tried to climb under the cart, but the woman grabbed her before she could.

Her grip felt like knives against Nott's skin, so cold it burned. She tried to wrench herself from the woman's grasp, but the pain was too intense so she couldn't put any strength behind her movements. She was about to rip Nott apart when she was hit with another burst of fire.

She dropped Nott and turned her attention to Caleb, who was helping Jester back onto the cart. Yasha, seeing this, threw Molly over her shoulder, much to the tiefling's displeasure, and dropped him off in the cart with a loud thump.

"Fucking hell, Yasha!" he yelled at her. She picked up Fjord and put him in the back before running up to the horses and snapping the reigns. Caleb barely had enough time to grab Nott and pull her onto the cart before it was speeding down the road.

But it wasn't fast enough. The woman was close behind and quickly catching up. The death of her child had left her in her own form of rage, her icy blue eyes glowing ominously. She held up a hand and created several ice forms around her, which she sent out to attack the sides of the cart. Molly looked on in horror, unable to do anything to combat them.

Shaking, whether from the cold, fear, or both, Caleb readied another fire spell of some kind, but lost concentration on it when the cart shook violently, almost throwing him from the cart. When he righted himself, he looked out to see a woman in a dress of earthy browns, rich golds, and deep maroon. The last wisps of flames licked her ankles as she moved closer to the pale woman before her.

"Another one," the newcomer muttered. A blinding red glyph appeared beneath her feet and soon a hulking beast stood beside her. She stepped away and snapped her fingers, the beast's jaw opening and letting out a large fireball that engulfed the strange woman. She let out another, weaker, scream as she burned away into nothing.

"Fuck!" Yasha yelled as the horses stumbled and the cart toppled over. Those in the back managed to duck out before it flipped, and the horses seemed alright, but they were going to have a hell of a time trying to flip it back upright.

Beau started crying from inside Jester's tight grip. The older woman looked down at her and tried to calm her while Caleb looked back at the beast and its master, Molly looking at the flipped cart, already trying to work out how to right it.

Caleb's mind wandered to a dark place. A place of fire, of fear and pain, a place he tried to avoid. He only came back to reality a little when he felt something tug his arm, but couldn't shake the images in his mind.

Nott tried to pull him out of his head, tried to get everyone to run as the strange woman with her hulking beast approached them. To where, she didn't know, but away sounded nice.

"Are you alright?" the woman asked, bending down to place a hand on Caleb's shoulder. When he didn't seem to react, she softly tilted his chin up to inspect his face, gaze deep into his eyes. He blinked, and suddenly, he was back to reality. "Where are you injured?"

"I..." He blinked in confusion, shaking his head. "I am...there's no...I am fine," he stuttered.

"Who are you?" Molly hissed, raising a blade to her throat. The beast behind her growled, but quieted when she raised a hand to it.

"A hunter," she explained. "This is my Eidolon, Ifrit. We sensed the Yuki-Onna and came to... _deal_ with it."

Molly didn't lower his blade. "The what?" he asked.

Brazenly, the huntress pushed the blade from her throat and stood. "The Yuki-Onna," she repeated. "Did you really come to this place without any knowledge of what they are?"

The Might Nein exchanged momentary glances with each other and then shrugged. "Never head of 'em," Molly said. The huntress raised a hand to her forehead and rubbed it, letting out a long sigh.

"Creatures of winter and snow," she explained calmly once she lowered her arm. "They suck the life out of their victims with a frozen kiss." She turned to Molly. "I'm surprised you're even still standing."

Now that she mentioned it, with the adrenaline fading, he was finding it difficult to hold his blade, or even himself, in an upright position. She nodded slightly at him, then turned to her Eidolon. "Ifrit, be a dear and right their cart. They're going to need it." The Eidolon made a strange noise before making its way to the cart, easily putting it back on its wheels. "Go sit," she demanded, her attention on Molly. "I can see the cold seeping into your bones."

True to her word, Molly was freezing, his inside feeling like ice. He tried to take a step toward the cart, but stumbled. He was caught in one of Ifrit's large paws and placed gingerly inside.

"All of you, get to the Firelight Inn," she instructed, "you'll be safe there. There's a ward to keep the Yuki-Onnas away. The only way to recover from their kisses is to sleep for at least eight hours, though it shouldn't be too difficult."

"Thank you," Jester said, helping Beau back into the cart.

"Keep heading the way you were going," she told Jester in a much softer tone of voice, the hard edge gone now that the danger had passed, "and you'll make your way to the city. Once there, head to the heart, you'll find the inn there. If you get lost, you can ask anyone where to go, they're all very kind and helpful people." She stepped away from the cart and watched them depart.

"You didn't give us your name!" Fjord called after her. She just turned and waved goodbye to them.

"Fucking hell," Molly hissed, doubling over himself, clutching his stomach. He was shivering with an intensity he'd never thought possible, the feeling of a thousand blades ripping him apart from inside while he burned alive running through his veins. He liked to believe himself a strong man, but even he was powerless to stem the flow of tears falling down his cheeks and the sobs from escaping his lips. He wanted to vomit, but couldn't find the energy. Jester placed Beau down beside her and tried to cast Cure Wounds on him, but even her slight touch was too much for him to handle. His breathing came out in short, pained gasps as he tried to fill his lungs with air, getting knives instead.

Once they reached town, Jester poked her head out the back of the cart and yelled out, "Help, we need a doctor! Our friend is in terrible pain!" Several locals stopped at her words, and a couple approached them.

"What's wrong?" the man asked.

"I...I don't really know," Jester replied. "Something about a Yuki-something, and a kiss?" The two lovers looked at each other in horror, then turned back to her.

"Get to the Firelight Inn," the woman said and pointed to a building not far from where they were. "Ask for the hunter's guild, you can't miss them. They'll help you." The words were barely out of her mouth before Yasha had snapped the reigns again.

The Nein left the cart out front as Yasha pulled Molly, too weak to scream out, from the back of the cart and rushed inside. Jester followed quickly with Beau in her arms, Fjord on her heels. Nott pulled Caleb inside, the wizard in a strange daze, unable to comprehend what was going on in front of him.

"Help!" Yasha, Jester, and Fjord yelled as they entered the inn. The room fell silent as all eyes turned to them, a group of people in the middle jumping up and swarming them.

"Another Yuki-Onna attack?" a woman in blue hissed. "Snap, snap, where's the potion?"

"Hold on, I'm getting it!" a man in brown snapped, his arm shoulder-deep in a bag, rummaging around. He finally pulled out a small bottle with yellow liquid inside it, which he handed to the woman in blue.

"Once he drinks this, get him upstairs to a room  _immediately_ ," she instructed, already coaxing Molly's mouth open and telling him to drink it, tilting it slowly so he wouldn't choke.

"This will help with the pain," a woman in a white peacoat explained. "After he's taken it, he'll need rest."

"We need a room," Fjord replied.

"First one's on me," a man behind the bar called out. "I know it's not the best way to run a business, but this place practically doubles as a hospital now. Whatever room he's in, it's on the house. You're more than welcome to try and fit in it. I know friends and family of the victim like to be there when they wake up."

"I think we should give him his space," Jester replied. "How much is it for a room?"

"Two silver," the man replied.

"We'll take two."

"Darion," the woman in blue said, "I need a key."

Molly was still shaking, but the pain seemed to be subsiding, and he was able to start falling asleep. The barkeeper disappeared into a room before reemerging with a metal key in hand, which he handed to the woman. She led Yasha upstairs, helping lay Molly in a way that he would be comfortable when he woke up.

"They have to be laid down in a specific way," she explained softly, "or else they have nightmares. I'm not entirely sure what it is about this posture, I think it keeps the Yuki-Onnas from entering their minds somehow."

"You know a lot about these creatures," Yasha commented as she tucked Molly in. The woman shrugged.

"We're friends with one," she explained. "Tsuki. She was fleeing from her clan. She's been telling us about them and how best to combat them."

Yasha tilted her head. "She's alright with you killing her people?" she asked.

"Some of them are victims of a slow death by the cold," the woman explained as she led Yasha out of the room. "Not all of them are natural-born. Tsuki said that death ends their pain. But more than that, she understands that they're killing innocent people for eternal youth and that...that's not something she agrees with."

"But still."

The woman shrugged. "It's complicated."

As they descended back to the main floor, she stopped Yasha. "I just realized I never introduced myself," she said. "My name is Hali."

"Uh...Yasha," the barbarian woman said and shook the offered hand.

"Yasha, what a pretty name," Hali said with a smile. "It's easy to get caught up in trying to save a person's life and forget about introductions."

"Your friend didn't give us her name back in the woods," Yasha said.

Hali chuckled. "Brynlee," she said. "She's not much of a talker when she's working." She patted Yasha's shoulder. "Anyway, I'd suggest you get some rest yourself, and take your friends. A fight with a Yuki-Onna isn't easy."

Yasha watched Hali return to her friends before going to grab her own. The huntress wasn't wrong, after all. They needed some rest.


	4. Chapter 4

Caleb was awake before anyone else. He could tell by the eerie silence in the inn, a quiet he'd never experience in an inn before. It seemed everyone valued rest here.

He had one of Molly's hands wrapped in both of his, running his fingers against the smooth skin. It was warmer than it had been when he first took watch over the tiefling, which he was eternally grateful for. Molly was getting better, that was the only thing that mattered to the wizard.

He hadn't slept well that night, trying not to sleep in case something happened in the middle of the night to Molly and now he was paying the price. He felt fatigue seep into his bones again, and he was about to lean against the bed and sleep again when he saw Molly start shifting in the bed.

"Mmm, who's 'ere," Molly muttered, his words barely coherent. Caleb stood from the seat he was on and moved closer to the head of the bed, closer to Molly so he could see him.

"It's Caleb," Caleb answered. With great effort, Molly finally opened his eyes and gave his partner a weak smile. "You had us all worried, Mollymauk."

"Glad to know you care," he answered softly. "I still feel like shit, Love."

"You should go back to sleep," Caleb told him, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, still gripping Molly's hand tightly. "You need to regain your strength."

"Only if you sleep with me," Molly replied, tugging on Caleb's sleeve to pull him closer. "You look like shit. When was the last time you slept?"

Before Caleb could answer, there was a soft knock on the door which caught his attention. It wasn't loud by any means, but in the stillness of the night, it could easily be heard, especially since the room's occupants were whispering to each other. Finally letting his death grip on Molly's hand go, Caleb stood to answer the door, thinking it was one of their companions.

When Caleb opened the door, he saw two women standing outside, one the woman they saw yesterday with the eidolon, the other a woman with short black hair, pale skin, and dark red lips. Another Yuki-Onna. Caleb wanted to tell her to go away, or perhaps he would burn her to death. All he knew was he didn't want her anywhere near Molly, but the way the woman next to her seemed to stand beside her protectively made him reconsider. Only for a moment.

"We came to check on the patient," the woman from the day before whispered, too scared to speak at a regular volume and wake someone else.

"We brought tea," the Yuki-Onna added, holding up the tray in her hands to make a point. "It will help him feel better."

Caleb was about to turn them away, but Molly did love tea, and would flay him alive if he turned them away. The wizard let out a defeated sigh before standing aside, waving them in.

Immediately, the Yuki-Onna made her way to Molly's side, placing the tray on the bedside table before inspecting Molly's face. "You've recovered well," she commented, turning back to the tea and pouring some out. "Be careful, it is still hot." Molly took it in his hands, which seemed to be shaking, and slowly sipped the liquid. She was right, it was still hot, but considering how cold he still was, he welcomed it.

"Tsuki," the other woman called. "If he's alright, we still have a couple more people to check on." The Yuki-Onna picked the tea tray back up and headed for the door. The other woman made to follow her, but stopped and turned back to Caleb. "If he gets worse, you can find someone on the main floor to help you," she told him. "My name is Brynlee, if you want me specifically. That was Tsuki, she's our friend, so no killing her." She pointed at Caleb as she walked out, making a point of it.

Caleb closed the door behind her and turned back to Molly, who had almost finished the cup of tea. "I'm not sure how I feel about them," Molly commented, "but that Yuki-Onna knows how to make a lovely cup of tea."

"I don't trust them," Caleb commented.

"Because of the Yuki-Onna?"

"Ja. One of them almost killed you."

Molly finished his tea and patted the bed beside him as he put the cup on the table beside him. "Caleb, your best friend is a goblin that was a member of a clan that burned people's villages down, tortured them, and ate their babies," he pointed out. "Two of your companions, one of which you're sleeping with, are tieflings, which many people refer to as 'demon spawn'. Another one of your companions has a shifty background that allows her to know weird shit, like criminal gangs and mobs and shit, and you worked with a member of the  _Iron Shepherds_ that left the group. I don't think we can judge a person because one person tried to kill us."

Caleb opened his mouth to reply, but he had to admit Molly had a point. He really wasn't one who could talk in this instance. Nott was judged on a daily basis for being a goblin, no matter how sweet and nurturing she was, and Molly and Jester did get a lot of shit from people as well for their race.

"Ja, ja, fine," Caleb said. "I just...you were..." He couldn't find the words to explain what he was feeling, why it was that he was so distrusting. 

"Caleb," Molly called out softly, leaning up in bed and shifting so they were sitting right next to each other, "I know." Caleb looked up and saw the understanding in Molly's eyes and knew that the tiefling knew what he was trying to convey to him. Molly wrapped his arms around Caleb's waist and buried his face in the wizard's neck, his tail coming up to wrap around his thigh as best it could.

A few months ago, Caleb would have never guessed Molly could be so intimate. He was always loud and crass, sleeping with whoever he wanted without a care in the world. But now, being together, he'd softened out, took every little thing he did around Caleb into consideration, and devoted all of his energy to Caleb. And now here they were, holding each other and being protective.

"We should get to sleep," Molly whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Caleb's neck. Letting out a sigh, Caleb removed his coat and the two shifted on the bed so they were laying down, Caleb wrapping his arm around Molly's waist.

They'd long since learned they had to be careful when sleeping together. Molly's horns, Caleb learned the hard way, were incredibly sharp and painful to get poked by. It was the first time in his life that Molly had been self-conscious of them, and hadn't really shaken it since.

"I wish I didn't have horns," Molly blurted when Caleb pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. "It would make this so much easier."

"I love your horns," Caleb replied, loosely threading his fingers with Molly's.

"But-"

"No buts, Mollymauk."

Molly would have made a joke under normal circumstances, but these were not normal circumstances. Caleb was warm against Molly's back, a nice change from the freezing cold hell that had been the previous several hours, and he moved closer to Caleb's touch as much as he could. He wanted to say something, anything, a joke or something sweet, but there was comfort in the silence, and content, so he kept his mouth shut, choosing to close his eyes and fall asleep instead.

The next couple of hours were bliss for the couple. There was something about almost dying that made cuddling sweeter, especially when it came with the added bonus of warmth after almost internally freezing to death. Sadly, their bliss ended before they were ready for it to.

"Caleb, Molly!" Beau yelled, running into the room and jumping on the bed. Not having enough room for them to comfortably sit on the bed together, Molly found himself befriending the floor as Beau jumped up and down on the bed he was previously sleeping on. He sat up and glared at the child jumping on  _his bed_ , screaming at the top of her lungs. "It's time to go!" she loudly proclaimed.

"Next time,  _knock!_ " Molly demanded, picking her up and placing her outside the door. "It's rude to barge into someone's room, missy."

"But Fjord said we need to go!" Beau demanded, stomping her foot while placing her hands on her hips sternly. Her glare looked more like an adorable pout than anything. All Molly could do was sigh in an effort to hold back from yelling. Beau was a child now, with a child's mind, and he had to treat her as such, for better or worse.

"Tell Fjord he can choke on a dick," Molly said and sent her on her way, closing and locking the door behind him. Caleb leveled him with a stern gaze, not really a glare, but close enough. "What?" Molly asked, irritation in his voice as he rubbed the base of his tail. "I fucking landed on my tail," he muttered under his breath.

"Beau is a child now," Caleb said. "She doesn't know any better."

"The sooner this fucking curse is broken, the better," Molly huffed, ripping his coat off the rack it was placed on.

Caleb rose from the bed and slipped his own coat back on. "It will be better," he said, "because we will have our monk back."

"And no more children," Molly added. Under his breath he said, "I hate children."

Caleb gave him a strange look, one he ignored as he walked out of the room, his tail flicking behind him. The wizard caught up to him and took his hand, which did help Molly calm down a bit.

"Deep breaths, Mollymauk," Caleb whispered in his ear as they headed down to get breakfast. 

"What would I do without you?" Molly asked, squeezing Caleb's hand in appreciation. They found the others sat around a table in the corner, but there was no space for them to sit together, so they broke apart from each other and took what seats they could find around the table.

"Good morning," Yasha greeted softly as they took their seats. "I hear there was a bit of a commotion with Beau this morning."

Molly let out a yawn before answering, "She certainly knows how to wake a person up." He reached out to take her cup and took a large sip, noting that it was nothing more than water, but he was fine with that. He really wanted something stronger, after the night he'd had, but hydration also seemed nice, so he drank more and more water, until the cup was empty. Yasha seemed fine with that, simply waving the server over and asking for a refill.

"So, we head out after breakfast, ja?" Caleb asked after their food was served and the servers wandered off. Everyone was eating their food without complaint, except Molly, who was picking at his food, moving it around on the plate. Usually he enjoyed eating, never turned food away, but something he couldn't name was bothering him, making it difficult to even  _think_ about stomaching food.

"Molly," Jester complained as she looked over at him, "you need to eat, too."

"I know," he said, "I'm just not hungry."

Yasha patted his shoulder. "We still have some food from the last town," she said. "It'll be cold by now, but it works."

Molly tried to give her a small smile, but he couldn't manage it. "I think I'll just have some more water," he said, taking a long sip from his cup. The cool liquid did make him feel better, quelled the nauseous feeling in his stomach that he still didn't understand.

Everyone else ate without complaint. Suddenly, Molly stood from his seat and walked away, leaving the others in utter confusion as he fled. He made his way outside, to an alley behind the inn, and vomited out the contents of his stomach, which wasn't much. When there was nothing left, he continued to dry-heave, which made his ribs scream out painfully.  _What fucking god did I piss off to deserve this much punishment?_ he asked himself when he could think coherently again. He stood to go back inside, but swayed on his feet and almost crashed to the ground, but something caught him.

Something that felt like ice burning the bare flesh it touched. He hissed in pain, but allowed himself to be righted on his feet. "Nausea is normal after an attack like that," a soft voice explained. Molly turned to see Tsuki smiling sadly at him. "I can persist for about five days."

"Wonderful," he muttered. "Your hands..."

"I know," she said, pulling them away from him. "It is the curse I must bear."

Molly wasn't sure what to say, so he simply looked away. "How come I'm not charmed by you?" he asked after a moment.

Tsuki ran a hand up her arm. "We must cast a spell over ourselves if we wish to charm someone," she answered. "That is not a life I want to live anymore, so I do not cast it." She ran a hand through her hair. "I also cut my hair."

"Is long hair customary for Yuki-Onnas?"

"Most keep it long," Tsuki answered. "In fact, I'm the only one with short hair that I can think of."

"Why a kiss?" Molly asked, touching the ends of his own hair. "Why kill a person with a kiss?"

Tsuki let out what sounded like a sigh, or perhaps a call of some kind, and crouched down to tend to some plants. "A kiss is the purest way to extract a soul," she explained as she dumped some water on the ground where Molly had vomited. "And we need souls to stay young. The younger the soul, the better. Younger souls are stronger, but not too young."

She waved her hand over the now wet spot and it froze. She then buried it deep in the ground. "It's a horrible practice," she declared. "I've seen too many innocent people die because of it."

"And you only target men?"

"No." She raised her eyes to face Molly. "Some choose to take women as well. It's not as common, but it happens. Usually, Yuki-Onnas go for those who are weak of will, who will not fight the icy kiss."

"That's awful."

"I know."

They fell into silence. It was tense, neither one knowing what to say, but knowing there was discomfort. Molly opened and closed his mouth several times to try and excuse himself back to his companions, but nothing came out. Finally, after a painfully long time, Tsuki stood. "You should go back to your friends," she suggested. "I'm sure they are ready to leave." Molly nodded his agreement and headed back inside.

"Alright, so how this works is you tap the charms and a spell will activate," Hali explained as she wrapped a bracelet around Jester's wrist. "The spell will ward off the Yuki-Onnas for a short time. I would say use that time to run. And NEVER hold a yukinko." She turned a pointed look at Fjord, who rubbed his neck and gave her an awkward smile.

"Don't waste the spell, though," the man in the brown outfit said when he saw Jester raise her hand to activate the bracelet. "You only get one use before you have to recast the spell, and only one of us can do that."

Jester put her hand down, understanding the consequences. She looked up when Molly approached, smiling at him. "How are you feeling?" she asked. "You kinda just ran out on us. We were worried."

"Not my best, honestly," Molly replied, lifting his wrist when a bracelet was offered to him. "I threw up."

"Oh no!" Jester exclaimed and placed a hand to his forehead. "You don't feel warm, or warmer than you usually do."

Molly waved her hand away. "Just leftover shit from the attack," he explained. "I should be back to normal in a couple days. Beau, on the other hand, might not be so lucky, so let's get the Unpleasant One to this Trent guy or she'll be stuck that way forever."

Beau was running around, trying to get free food from all the people in the tavern. Some people complied and gave her food, others simply patted her head and sent her away. She came back to the Nein after she'd successfully gotten a whole plateful of food.

"Shall we head out then?" Fjord asked, already leading the way out to the cart. Molly took the plate of food Brynlee shoved in his hands, telling him to eat or he'd get worse, saving it for the road. He would sit in the cart and snuggle with Caleb, letting him shove food in his face eventually.


	5. Chapter 5

The journey back to Zadash was proving to be more difficult than the journey away from it. What probably made the experience so difficult to handle was the fact that there was absolutely  _nothing_ to do on the way. It was made even worse by Beau and her childish inability to sit down for more than five minutes without loudly proclaiming how _bored_ she was.

" _Sit_ ," Molly demanded finally, pulling Beau into his lap and firmly holding her down, even though she squirmed in his grasp. "Calm, sit, sleep," Molly told her, patting her head.

"I'm not sleepy, I'm  _boooooored_ _,"_ Beau complained, trying again to squirm out of his much stronger grasp. When he wasn't making a move to let her go, she made an unhappy noise and bit his hand.

" _Ow! BEAU!"_ Molly screamed at her as she ran to the mouth of the wagon, jumping out as Molly scrambled after her. The wagon, though, was much taller than she initially thought, and would have seriously hurt herself if Fjord hadn't been there to grab her.

"Now, now, Beau," he lightly scolded, placing her on the ground beside him and taking her hand as they walked, "we're all a bit bored, but we don't go biting each other."

"Speak for yourself," Molly said, a shit eating grin on his face as he leaned on the lip of the cart. He dodged out of the way of a book flying at his head, which hit Fjord in the face instead. Molly couldn't hold back his laughter at that.

"Sorry Fjord," came Nott's soft voice from the back of the cart while Caleb whined about his book. The offending object had fallen perfectly into Fjord's hand, which he handed to Molly, who passed it to Caleb, who instantly began checking that it was alright.

"Caleb, dear, your book is fine," Molly assured, grabbing it with his tail and pulling it close to look through it. "You're obsessed with these, what's in them?"

"Molly," Caleb hissed. "If you ruin that book I will stab your eyes out."

"Don't tempt me with a good time," Molly snapped back as he continued flipping through the book. His tail flicked as he tried to make out what the pages said, but they were ancient spells not written in Common.

Jester rode to the back of the cart on one of the horses, lovingly named Dung, and pulled Beau up with her. "So, Molly, Caleb," she said, grabbing their attention.

"Jester dear," Molly replied, raising an eyebrow at her. Being addressed by Jester rarely ended well.

"Are you two a couple now?" she asked sweetly, batting her eyes innocently at them. Nott made a noise that sounded like a dying animal and covered her ears, clearly not wanting to hear the answer.

"I do not see how that is your business," Caleb replied while Molly replied "Couple of fuck buddies" at the same time. The wizard glared at the Bloodhunter, who just smirked back at him.

Jester moved Dung as close to the cart as she could, leaning down as close as she could to it, and whispered, "I want details."

"Jester!" Caleb yelled, but Molly winked at her.

"Next time we stop at an inn, I'll give you all the gory details," he promised, linking his pinky with her when she offered it. Caleb let out a frustrated sigh and pressed a hand to his face.

"Can we change the subject?" Nott asked, also appearing at the mouth of the cart. Molly handed the book back to Caleb, who glared at him but took it gratefully. As the others started going through safe topics of discussion, Molly and Jester kept watch, tuning the others out as they scanned the area around them.

They perked up at the same time, hearing something in the distance as everyone talked. As they exchanged glances, Jester put Beau back on the cart as Molly slipped out, both of them making their way into the woods, Jester on her horse, Molly by foot. Fjord made to run after them, but Nott grabbed his shoulder and held him back.

They waited for what felt like eternity with bated breath as they watched the area where the two had disappeared, waiting for them to return. The only sound around them was that of the wind blowing through the leaves, an unwelcome calm in the atmosphere. It was almost  _too_ calm.

Distantly, the Nein could hear the sound of wolf howls. Their fingers twitched toward their weapons, ready to attack at any moment should the need arise. Beau looked around Nott, who was protecting her with her body, to see what everyone was looking at, her little fingers wrapping tightly around the fabric of Nott's cloak. She was shaking, so was Nott, she just wanted to see Jester again.

There was rustling in the bushes, and voices speaking in a harsh tongue. Nott let loose a bolt in shock with a scream, narrowly missing her target.

"Will you fuckers hold your damn fire!?" came Molly's irritated voice. "For fuck's sake, it us!"

Jester emerged first on Dung, followed by Molly, who had wrapped his coat around something. He was visibly shaking from the cold. He made his way quickly to the cart, hoisting himself up with one arm, the other still tightly wrapped around the bundle in his arms.

"What blankets do we have left?" Jester asked, making her way to the cart and jumping off Dung's back. She also jumped into the cart, making her way to the bundle.

Molly waved to her pack. "There's sleeping bags in the pack," he said. "They might work better for the moment."

In an odd display of kindness, Nott offered Molly his blanket, wrapping it around his shoulders for him when he made no move to let go of the bundle in his grasp. It wasn't until it moved that anyone really paid attention to it.

Jester was by his side in an instant, bed roll in her hand. "No, no," she scolded lightly, "no coming out for you."

"I would appreciate having my coat back," Molly muttered under his breath, but made no move to free it from whatever it was wrapped around.

Jester unrolled the bed roll. "In a moment," she said, opening it enough for Molly to slide the bundle inside it before they both began to unravel the coat from around it. There was a soft whine before the others could see a small, green face with little, growing horns. Molly pulled the top of the bed roll tight around the baby's neck, careful not to make it so tight he couldn't breathe, and then pulled him back into his arms.

Jester looked around the cart again, looking at the plates of food they had. "Is there anything he can eat?" she asked. "Anything that can hold him over until we reach the next town?"

"Can you feed him donuts in small pieces?" Nott asked, leaning over and booping his nose. The baby looked at her finger curiously before giggling and squirming, trying to reach out and grab it.

"No," Molly said firmly, holding a finger in front of the baby's face. "You are going to get cold."

The baby made a noise at him before lightly biting Molly's finger. Molly, who was used to pain, only sighed at the baby's antics. It didn't hurt, he barely had any teeth in, it was more of an annoyance, knowing that if he pulled away the baby would cry.

Beau walked up to the baby and peered down at him with her wide eyes. "It's a baby," she commented in the loudest stage whisper Molly had ever heard, which was saying something because he was in the circus.

"Yes, very good, Beau," Jester said, smiling at her sweetly. "Be gentle now, he's very delicate." She pulled Beau down into her lap and then held her arms out to Molly. He hesitated, raising an eyebrow at her, but handed the baby over to her. Carefully, Jester lowered him into Beau's arms, helping her support him. He looked around curiously, taking in the new angle.

Molly made his way to the front of the cart and pulled himself up to sit next to Yasha, who hadn't moved from her place since she saw the two tieflings leave. "A baby, hm?" she asked and she snapped the reigns and the cart started moving again.

The Mighty Nein had managed to get Turtle hooked up to the front of the cart along with the other two horses, who still didn't have names. Fjord took up riding Dung, moving close to the front as well to join them.

"Are we going to be able to take care of another child?" he asked once he got to a nice pace beside them.

Molly let out a sigh and shrugged. "Until the next town, I think we can manage," he answered. "We don't have too far to go, hopefully. Once we're there, we can find a suitable family to take him and raise him."

"A suitable family?" Fjord asked. "I mean no offense, Molly, but you don't come off as the type to care about where this baby goes, as long as it's away from you."

Molly stuck his tongue out slightly while Yasha chuckled. "He won't admit it," she stated, "but he has a soft spot for children."

He tilted his head slightly at her. "Yasha, dear, do you even know me?" he asked.

"I do," she replied. "I've seen how you treat children. They were always your best customers in the carnival."

"Just because they were my best customers doesn't mean I like them," Molly replied.

"Molly, I know you better than possibly even you know yourself," Yasha said, "and there was no faking the joy in your eye when you got those children to laugh and smile. Don't lie to me, Molly, you like children more than you let on." Molly rolled his eyes. "I mean, you refused to let Kiri drink, which is very unlike you."

"That's just common sense, darling," Molly replied. "We couldn't have a bird child running around drunk, causing a scene and drawing attention to us."

Yasha nodded. "But you and Beau getting high off your asses and drawing attention to us is perfectly acceptable."

Molly waved a dismissive hand. "No one bats an eye at  _adults_ who are high or drunk, but children are a no-no."

"Mhm, right." Yasha didn't sound convinced, but that wasn't anything for Molly to worry about. They rode on in silence for several hours, the only sound coming from inside the cart as everyone cooed at the baby. It wasn't until everything had settled down and gone quiet that Jester poked her head out between Molly and Yasha.

"Molly," she said in her most Jerstery voice, "you should come in and see. The baby's asleep and he looks so cute!"

Instead of going into the cart, Molly just pushed back the flap of canvas so he could see inside. Nott was currently placing the baby down on the floor between her and Caleb, looking much more maternal than Molly thought possible. He did have to admit, even if he didn't want to, that the baby did look really cute, wrapped up in a bed roll that was way too big and surrounded by people that looked at him with nothing but love in their eyes. They hadn't even had the baby for a day, but it was clear every member of the Mighty Nein would kill to protect him.

"You should go in and rest," Yasha suggested. "I think it's safe to pull over and rest for the night."

"No," Molly responded quickly. He pulled out the map and looked over it. "If we keep pushing forward, we'll make it to the next town by sunrise. We don't have any time to waste."


	6. Chapter 6

Crying. It was awful, and the only ones awake to be bothered by it were Molly and Beau, the latter of whom was currently complaining about said crying. Without any food, Molly could only walk around the small camp the Mighty Nein had made and hope he could lull baby Tiefling back to sleep until they made it to the next town, which wasn't too far out. They could have made it during the night, but Yasha and Fjord were too tired to push on any further and the others had already fallen asleep.

Why they suddenly chose now to become deep sleepers, Molly didn't know. He would kick their asses later for it, though.

Granted, Yasha and Jester would kick his ass long before he could kick theirs, but that wasn't any concern to Molly at that moment.

"Go back to sleep," Molly pleaded as he made his tenth circle around the group. Baby Tiefling was pressed against his shoulder so Molly could comfortably pat his back lightly in what he hoped was a manner that would lull him to sleep. As of yet, it hadn't worked, but he still had hope.

"He's too loud!" Beau complained.

"Beau, I will hit you with a sleep spell if you don't shut up," Molly hissed in the softest, sweetest baby voice he could muster, trying to prevent Tiefling from getting more upset. If only he knew _how_  to cast a sleep spell.

His tail flicked in irritation as he went for his eleventh circle around the group. He had no idea what to do. He could try to soak some of their bread and sweets in water, but that could lead to Tiefling choking, and he wasn't equipped to deal with a choking baby. He wasn't equipped to deal with a baby in general, but that was a concern for a later date, when he wasn't the  _only one awake dealing with a screaming baby._ Oh, and a child monk.

Beau eventually tucked herself into Jester's arm and managed to place the cleric's arm in a way that blocked out most of the noise so she could fall back asleep. Molly wished he could do the same, tucking himself into  _anyone's_ arm, but no, he just  _had_ to stay awake with the baby. Normally, Molly didn't mind taking watch, nor did he mind taking watch  _alone_ , but he was too distracted trying to take care of the baby to look for potential threats.

"Come on, hush now," he mumbled into the baby's ear, readjusting him so he could press small kisses to the baby's head and wipe away the tears. Making his way around the group for the twelfth time, Molly began to hum, low and quiet, a soft tune he didn't know how he knew. It didn't do much, but baby Tiefling did quiet down the barest amount. He wasn't hearing Molly so much as feeling the vibrations in his chest, but it was enough. Now, there was progress.

Molly was halfway through his lap around the group when he noticed movement from within it. His darkvision and the light from the dying fire had a competition to see which would help him make out what it was, but it wasn't until he made his way to that side of the group that he could.

Nott was waking up, wiggling her way out from where she was pinned to Caleb's chest by his arm. In all fairness, she'd climbed into his embrace while he was half-dazed from slumber, so it was all her fault she got pinned there in the first place, but that was a thought for another time as Molly continued his circling of the group. "How long have you been up?" Nott asked quietly after a moment.

"Haven't gotten to sleep," Molly replied softly as he passed her. "Been keeping watch."

"On the baby?" It was a fair question, in her defense. Molly shrugged his shoulders as best he could without disturbing Tiefling. "You should get some rest."

"I would, but he won't stop crying," Molly explained. "We haven't got any food for him. He's probably  _starving_ now."

Nott looked into the forest surrounding them. "If I find some berries and we mash them up, do you think that will hold him off until we get to town?"

"I've got no idea, but I don't have any other ideas, so we might as well try." Molly stopped her with his tail when she turned to make her way into the treeline. "There's some berries in Jester's bag. I'm not sure how good they are, but it's safer than taking chances on wild berries."

Jester's bag was left unattended near her. Nodding in understanding, Nott made her way over to the bag and opened it, mindful not to wake anyone, and rummaged through it, looking for the berries. As she did, Molly began circle number thirteen, rubbing baby Tiefling's back and speaking softly in Infernal to him. Nott produced the berries and a bowl to mash them up in, setting out to work instantly.

Finally too tired to walk any more, Molly sat down and rocked the baby in his arms, on the verge of tears himself. It took several minutes, but Nott finally produced the berry juice and tilted some into Tiefling's mouth.

It wasn't much, but the baby wasn't complaining. As in, he'd actually  _stopped crying._ Somehow, the juice was enough to satiate him and he drank more when Nott offered it to him again. After he drank it all, it wasn't long before he was fast asleep in Molly's arms, the adult tiefling sending a prayer of appreciation to any deity that would listen to him. The fatigue settled deep in Molly's bones then, and he was more than grateful to pass on the duty of lookout to Nott, who was now wide awake. Sluggishly, he made his way over to Caleb and cuddled as close to him as he could while laying the baby on his chest.

He let out one, very quiet, purr before he fell asleep.

\-----

Jester woke with the sun, rubbing her eyes and taking in her surroundings. Her eyes first landed on Fjord, who was sprawled out on the ground, making her giggle. She turned her eyes down to see Beau had cuddled up with her at some point, the ancient runes on her arm glowing softly in the light. That was concerning, and Jester made a mental note to ask Caleb about it later.

After that, she noticed Nott keeping watch. She was busying herself by looking at some trinkets she'd found, but that was it. Yasha was laying in her side, her fingers wrapped loosely around her sword's hilt, as always.

And then she looked over at Molly and Caleb. The wizard had thrown his arm haphazardly over Molly's waist at some point. Molly was on his back, hand wrapped loosely around the baby tiefling, who had his head rested on Molly's chest, above his heart, fast asleep. She cooed at the sight, covering her mouth, hoping she hadn't woken anyone. Nott's head snapped toward her and she waved a little, letting the tiefling know she knew she was awake.

"Should we head out?" Nott asked when she made her way over to her friend. Jester looked around again, but decided against letting everyone sleep for a little longer. They were on a timeline, and time was running out.

"Yes," she said with a sad sigh and scooped Beau up. "I'm going to put Beau on the cart, can you wake everyone else?"

Nott nodded and made her way to Fjord, shaking him as gently as she could while still being rough enough to wake him. Jester stood and made her way to the cart, carefully making a small bed she could place Beau on, and lowered her onto it. Beau squirmed slightly as the cold, but Jester tucked her in with a couple blankets and a cloak and she was back asleep.

When she turned, she was greeted by Fjord and Yasha approaching the cart, and looking over their shoulders, Jester could see Nott now making an effort to wake Caleb and Molly. The wizard didn't seem to difficult to wake as well, but something about Molly was off today. Where he normally rose easily, albeit with plenty of complaints, he now refused to wake. 

"Molly," Jester said, walking up to him and shaking his shoulder. Perhaps Nott was just too soft. He groaned at the motion, but didn't wake, curling in on himself a bit. Carefully, Caleb took baby Tiefling out of Molly's grasp while Jester picked Molly up. He managed to open his eyes enough and reach out to Caleb, saying " _Give him back_ " in infernal before he passed out again.

Caleb tilted his head. "What did he say?" he asked, making his way to the cart with the baby.

"Nothing special," Jester replied, watching Caleb pass the baby to Fjord, who carefully placed him on his own blanket bed. "Just complaining about having the baby taken away from him."

"Really?" Caleb asked, astonished. "I thought he hated children?"

Jester shrugged. "Maybe he like tiefling children?"

Caleb wasn't sure how to answer. As much as he hated to admit it, he didn't know as much about Molly as he wanted to, even though Molly didn't even have many memories to work with. A couple of years was nothing compared to Caleb's thirty-three, almost thirty-four, but he'd refused to ask Molly personal questions, only allowing himself to know what Molly offered up freely. It didn't seem fair to make him answer deep, personal questions when he knew he himself would avoid them at all costs.

Jester was taking the reigns again. She placed Molly by the mouth of the cart before making the way to the front with Fjord, who would be riding on Dung again. Molly woke from his sleep momentarily again, crawling over to Caleb and using his lap as a pillow as he, yet again, fell back asleep, pulling baby Tiefling close so he could wrap an arm around him protectively.

"He was up very late with the baby," Nott explained when Caleb looked bewildered at his partner's actions. "He's exhausted, I'm sure."

"That would explain things," Caleb said, running his fingers through Molly's hair.

Nott opened her mouth to ask something, but decided against it, turning to Beau, who was waking up again. Yasha, who had joined the rest of the group in the cart, was attentive as usual, her sword sheathed at her back, but her hands were quick enough to get to it that she didn't need it out at all times.

Beau was surprisingly quiet the rest of the ride to town. She looked dazed and tired still, the possible reason for her quietness, but the others were still worried about her.

Once they reached town, Molly and the baby started waking up. Actually, that was an understatement. The baby made one noise to alert everyone he was awake and Molly bolted upright, already reaching out to tend to him, completely ignoring his own exhaustion. He almost impaled Caleb in the stomach with one of his horns in his rush to sit up, which the wizard didn't appreciate but also didn't comment on.

Molly bent over the baby and started inspecting him, trying to find anything that could be wrong or what he might want. When the baby looked at him, a bit confused, Molly was sure something was wrong and he was on the verge of another hours long breakdown, but then he started giggling and reaching for Molly, and the nerves left him. He smiled down at the baby and drew him into his arms, pulling him close.

It was an...odd sight, Molly holding a baby and smiling at him like a proud new parent. At least to most of the onlookers. Yasha let the barest smile grace her lips, a knowing smirk on her lips. For now, the baby was content, and that made life so much easier.

"He needs a name," Nott commented, walking over to look at the baby. "He looks like he could be a Gungax."

"Not just no," Molly replied, an unamused look on his face, "but hell no."

Yasha chuckled from where she was sitting, covering her mouth to try and hide it, but everyone looked at her anyway. "What about Okrin?" she suggested in lieu of trying to lie about her laughter. Molly pulled a face, a clear sign that he disagreed yet again. 

"Can't we have something simple, like Milo?" he asked, fully intending for the debate to continue, not for everyone to freeze and look at each other.

"I like Milo," Nott said, and everyone else agreed, even Beau.

"I wasn't-that wasn't...I wasn't _actually_ suggesting Milo," Molly fought back, but everyone else seemed content with the name, so he just shrugged and accepted it. At least he would get the credit for naming him.

The group made a stop at a local store to try and get some things for the baby. Some warm clothes and food were a necessity, but any other little things they could find were just icing on the cake.

When they entered, a little bell over the door chimed, alerting the owner of their presence. Behind the counter, a large, thick tail stood straight up while an excited voice said, "Oh, guests!" and the tail's owner attempted to stand up, but hit their head on the bottom of the desk instead. "Ow," the woman complained as she straightened herself out, rubbing her head between her horns.

"She's a tiefling!" Jester exclaimed excitedly, bouncing Beau on her hip to pull her up higher. "Hello!"

"Hello!" the other woman greeted with the same enthusiasm. "I'd tell you my name, but I don't think your friends here could say it, so you can call me Nina." Jester and Molly both chuckled, knowing from that that her name was infernal. "What can I help you with?"

Beau tried her best not to stare at the woman, she really did, but it was hard for her to look away. While she chatted happily with Jester and Molly, she took in Nina's burnt orange skin and the dark teal dress she was wearing that hung off her shoulder. Her long, dark hair was braided in the most complicated hairdo that Beau had ever seen before, some of it wrapped around the base of both horns.

"Do you happen to have any baby food?" Molly asked after much idle chitchat.

"Oh, yes!" Nina exclaimed excitedly, clapping her hands together. "My husband and I have been working on something to help all parents that need baby food on the go!" Beau watched intently as she made her way around the counter and toward the food side of the shop. "No one's had to use it yet, but I think it will do the trick. What's your baby's race?"

Molly and Jester blinked for a moment before answering "Tiefling" at the same time. The woman nodded her head and grabbed a box off the shelf, then made her way back to them.

"Here we go," she said, putting the box on the counter. "When was the last time he ate?"

Nott made her way over to the counter now, face mask on. "Molly and I were able to get him to drink some berry juice very early this morning, but we're not sure other than that," she explained. "We found him in the forest."

"Oh my," Nina said, worry passing over her face. "Berry juice isn't going to do much for a baby, not at all. But this is perfect! I can show you how to use this!" Carefully, she opened the box to reveal white powder inside. "Many mothers despise this, saying it isn't natural and that my husband and I shouldn't have made it, but we think the opposite. Some mothers have difficulty producing milk, and what about the poor parents that adopt and  _can't_ produce?" She scooped two spoonfuls into a glass bottle, then added water, then shook it up. "Warm water is best, but not too hot or you'll burn baby's mouth." She handed the bottle to Molly, who fed it to Milo.

"Our baby needs clothes," Jester said while Milo ate. "And...a lot of other things."

"We've got everything you need!" Nina exclaimed, bubbliness back to her voice. "We have clothes, toys, changing mats, diapers, all of it!" She led Jester and Nott to the section of the store reserved for children's things and started helping them look through things. As they did, Milo finished off his bottle, having been so hungry he drank it empty in a matter of moments.

Jester looked at the labels on everything and bit her lip. "We don't know how old he is," she commented, looking over at Molly. Nina straightened up and made her way over to him again.

"Can I have a look?" she asked, holding out her arms. Molly handed over Milo, who looked confused, but didn't cry. This new person looked similar to Molly, after all. Nina put him down on the counter and peeled back the bed roll to see how big he was. She tapped a finger to her lips before raising a hand and using Mage Hand to knock on the door to a back room. There was the sound of something falling, a bit of a scuffle, and then the door opened to reveal a tall elvish man who tripped on his feet as he exited his office.

"Yes, dear?" he asked, stepping over to the counter. The members of the Mighty Nein all shot strange glances at the two shopkeepers before quickly looking away again as if nothing had happened. Who were they to judge true love?

"I'm having a little difficulty placing an age of this baby," Nina explained. "Can you help?"

"I can certainly try," her husband replied. "Who are the parents?"

The Mighty Nein looked at each other, each member just as baffled as the other. "Well, Molly's been keeping an eye on him," Jester spoke up, "but I'd like to think we're all his parents!"

"What can I do for you?" Molly asked, though his normally confident voice had a nervous waver to it. The elvish man just handed him a blanket.

"Can you play a quick game of peek-a-boo with him?" he asked. When Molly looked confused he rushed out, "I swear, it will help!"

Shrugging his shoulders, Molly lifted the blanket up to cover his face so Milo couldn't see him anymore. For a moment, Milo didn't react, then he started whining, like he was about to cry. Molly's arms snapped down, revealing himself to the baby again, but now Milo was really confused and upset. He started crying loudly and reached out to Molly, who didn't hesitate to pick him up.

"Well, that answers that," the elvish man said, clapping his hands together and rubbing them nervously. Nina grabbed a toy from the children's section and brought it back to Milo, who took it and started to calm down, raising it to his mouth to chew on.

"Based on his size and lack of object permanence," the man said, "I'd place him at about eight months old, for a tiefling."

"For a tiefling?" Yasha asked.

"Tiefling babies grow at a different rate than human babies," Nina explained, leaning over the counter easily. "In this instance, they take a bit longer to reach their milestones. I also guessed around that age by his horns, but I was thinking more six months."

"Six months also makes sense," the elvish man said. "Honestly, it's hard to say without official birth records. He could be anywhere from five to ten months old."

"You sure do seem to know a lot about this," Fjord commented, coming over to the counter with some baby clothes. The elvish man smiled a little and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yes, well, I used to be a doctor," he explained. "Dr. Rhaethor Morvyre. I mean, I am still a doctor, just not practicing anymore."

"Why did you stop?" Yasha asked curiously.

Nina and Rhaethor exchanged a nervous glance. "You've chosen a hell of a time to come to this city," Nina finally answered. "I'm not sure if you can tell, but we tieflings aren't exactly...treated well here."

"I don't understand," Caleb said, finally making his way over to join the group.

"About six months ago," Rhaethor stated, "a politician running for office was up against a tiefling. Instead of making a slander campaign against just his opponent, he went against the race as a whole."

"Now everyone thinks we're evil demon spawn out to eat everyone's babies," Nina finished. "Many tieflings have already left the city, but we don't have the funds, nor a place to go." Rhaethor wrapped an arm around her waist protectively and pulled her close.

"That's awful," Jester gasped. "How could that happen?"

"I don't know," Nina replied, "but word is spreading. I've heard that in small towns around Zadash have started closing their doors to tieflings.  _Zadash!_ That's so far away, and yet it's happening. I fear to think about what would happen were word to reach the city proper."

"This city was built as a tiefling sanctuary thousands of years ago," Rhaethor said. "And now look at what's happening."

Milo squirmed in Molly's arms, bringing everyone back to the situation at hand. "You said you found him in the forest?" Nina asked. Molly and Jester nodded in answer. "Did you find any bodies?"

"No," Jester replied. "He was all alone."

"That...may not be true," Molly replied. "We weren't really looking for bodies."

"Do you think they were fleeing?" Rhaethor asked.

"Possibly," Nina replied. "Let's get you your things. You'll want to stay the night, but make your way out of town as soon as you can." She placed her hands on Jester and Molly's shoulders. "I wish you could stay. It's nice seeing new faces, but it isn't safe here anymore, not even for outsiders." There was something truly terrifying in her words. The Mighty Nein had dealt with horrible things before, but this...this was something that couldn't be solved with weapons.

"Make your way to the Nesting Crow," Nina said as she bagged their things and handed them to Fjord. "You'll be safe there." She walked them to the door and waved goodbye with the same vibrancy as when they first entered the store.

The Nesting Crow wasn't far from where the shop was, only a few turns away. There was a place behind the inn where Yasha could put the cart, so as she did that, the rest of the Nein made their way inside.

"Hello, welcome to the Nesting Crow!" a boisterous drow woman called and waved from the bar. Nott froze in place and tugged on Jester's dress.

"She's not wearing any clothes," the goblin woman whispered to her friend. Jester looked back at the drow woman, noting the bright red garments she was wearing.

"She's wearing a bkini," Jester whispered back. "Those are clothes."

Nott shook her head. "Isn't she cold? It's freezing!" Jester just shrugged.

"We have guests!?" a voice from another room called.

"Plenty of 'em!" the drow woman yelled back, leaning forward on the wooden bar top. "How can I help you all today?"

"Wow!" Jester said, "Your boobs are massive!"

The drow woman chuckled. "Thank you, dear, they were a birthday gift," she responded with a wink. "Mama always told me to show off what I'm proud of."

"They're like my mama's boobs," Jester proudly told the other members of her group, who were all in varying states of discomfort. The drow chuckled again and waved Jester closer.

"Would you like to touch them?" she asked. Jester's eyes widened in excitement as she asked if she could, but Fjord pulled her away.

"I'm sorry about her," he said, but the woman raised a hand and laughed.

"Trust me, darling, it's nothing," she said. "I used to be a courtesan here in town, I'm used to all manner of things."

Jester gasped out loud. "A courtesan?" she asked. "Have you heard of the Ruby of the Sea?"

"Who hasn't?" she asked. "Sadly, I'm no ruby. Here in town, I'm called the Red Woman, but my name is Vera. My partner's Tentacia. Which, by the way..." Vera leaned back to get a good look at the office door that was tucked just out of sight and yelled "Tentacia! Get out here!"

The door opened and another tiefling woman popped her head out from behind it. Her skin was a deep red, her horns curling back over her head. When she caught sight of the Mighty Nein, she smiled and made her way over to them. "Hello, hello," she greeted. "Sorry, I'm working on some paperwork."

She was dressed in a long sleeved gold turtleneck and a long black skirt that reached the ground. She leaned over to shake everyone's hand.

"So, what can we do for you today?" Vera asked, straightening up into a position that emphasized her boobs, making some of the Nein look away and others zero in on them. Jester, ever the perky one, piped up.

"We need a place to stay for the night," she explained.

"Well, we have suites with rooms ranging from one to five, what would you like?" Tentacia asked.

"Four should be enough," Fjord asked, looking anywhere but at Vera, who moved to get room keys while Tentacia took payment.

"Four room suite, that will be ten silver," she said. Fjord reached into his money pouch and produced a gold for her, which she gladly took. Vera returned with the room keys, and then the Nein made their way to their suite.

It was nice. Not as nice as when they stayed with Marion in Nicodranas, but much nicer than most other places they'd stayed. The suite had two levels, an upper and lower, each with two rooms. There was a large kitchen and dining area near the front of the suite, a seating area near the back, and a balcony that overlooked the city beyond that. Upon entering, Molly made his way to one of the lower rooms.

To his surprise, there was a crib in the room. He chuckled to himself, making a mental note to thank Vera later for the deliberate choice of room. For the moment, he decided it was best to put some proper clothes on Milo and take him back out to the main area and let him play for a bit. He put him in a red and white striped onesie that he thought Fjord picked out and carried him back out to the main area with some toys. With Milo properly distracted, Molly made his way to the kitchen to find the fridge fully stocked.

"How the hell is this place only one gold?" he asked, looking over at the others. When no one could give him an answer, he shrugged and pulled some food from the fridge and started making food for all of them to eat. He wasn't the best cook, but he wasn't the worst, either. He wouldn't kill them all with how bad he was, but it was nothing fancy. Enough to get the job done.

After everyone finished dinner, they made their way to their rooms, everyone choosing roommates as they went. The new sleeping arrangements were still strange and they hadn't yet gotten used to it all yet, except Caleb and Molly, who had already slipped into their room. Milo was fast asleep against Molly's shoulder and only made a soft noise of protest when he was lowered into the crib, but stayed asleep.

Molly turned to face Caleb, a serious look on his face. "Caleb," he said, and the wizard looked up at him at the strange tone of voice he was using. "I think we need to talk."


	7. Chapter 7

Caleb's throat tightened as the air rushed from his lungs. He never liked when people told him they needed to talk, and proceeded to _not_   _tell him_ what they needed to talk about. There were many things Molly could want to talk to him about, but there was one that stood out the most to him.

"Don't look so terrified, dear," Molly said before Caleb could dwell on the dark thoughts. "It's nothing like that."

Caleb eyed Molly suspiciously as he made his way to the table, grabbing the wizard's hand to pull him after, and sat down in one of the chairs. Still unsure, Caleb slowly lowered himself into the chair opposite his partner and waited for him to speak.

At first, Molly didn't say anything, didn't meet Caleb's eye as he contemplated his words, which only made the wizard more nervous. Molly was thinking hard about what to say, which never ended well for anyone. Least of all himself.

But Caleb waited. It was a painful process, but he waited.

"I guess we need to talk about... _us_ ," Molly finally stated, wary of looking Caleb in the eye. It was hard for him to say, and was something he was fine not talking about, but things had changed. "Before, when we were still hiding our relationship, it was fine to not have anything set in stone," he continued, "but now the others know and...I think it's time  _we_ know as well. What we are."

Caleb drew in a breath. He hadn't actually thought about it, not really. It felt like there were so many other things to think about, so many other things happening, that his and Molly's relationship was pushed to the back of his mind. It simply  _was_.

"I...I do not know," Caleb admitted. "I have not thought about it."

"I know," Molly said softly. "With everything that's been happening, I haven't really thought about it either." They both looked over at the crib when they heard the soft rustling of sheets from it. "We also need to decide what's going to happen with that one."

Caleb let out a long sigh. "There is a lot we need to think about," he stated plainly. "Though, I do think we should speak with the others about Milo."

Molly tore his gaze from the direction of the crib to face Caleb. "It was hard enough for Jester to part with Kiri, do you really think she's going to want to go through that again?" he asked. "You know how attached she gets."

"I don't think Jester is the most attached one right now," Caleb pointed out.

Molly put his head in the palm of one of his hands, his eyes not focusing on anything for a moment before turning up to Caleb. "He can't stay with us," he said with a finality that left little to argue with. "He's not safe with us. Hell,  _we_ aren't safe with us."

"I understand where you are coming from, Mollymauk," Caleb said, his voice soft, "but we are not the only ones who need to make this decision. Plus, we have no idea who we can give him to. He won't be safe here."

Molly was still refusing to look at Caleb, and the wizard couldn't blame him. If he were Molly, he wouldn't want to look at him, either. Honestly, he wasn't sure what Molly saw in him, why he insisted that Caleb be the one he had the complicated relationship with. It didn't keep him from moving his hand from his lap to reach out for Molly's hand.

He'd long since learned Molly preferred physical contact over anything else. When words couldn't soothe him, a hug usually could. This was a compromise.

Molly immediately wrapped his fingers around Caleb's, but took a moment longer to look at Milo before finally turning his eyes to the wizard. "This really is Kiri all over again, isn't it?" he asked, trying to keep his voice light and playful, but there was no hiding that sense of dread in it. Molly didn't want to let Milo go.

"It is similar," Caleb agreed, "but not the same."

It wasn't what Molly wanted to hear. Sure, it was nice to get confirmation that he wasn't being irrational about the situation, but he didn't want to hear that, not from Caleb. "I'm tired," he finally declared, standing from his chair, his hand slipping from Caleb's, and moved to the bed. He took off his boots and coat, not bothering to put on his sleeping clothes before collapsing onto the bed and closing his eyes.

For a moment, Caleb looked at the hand Molly had let go of before he followed suit.

\-----

It was another early morning for Molly when Milo woke up crying. He didn't start out loud, just enough to pull Molly from his slumber, but with each passing second, his cries got louder. Molly heard the shuffling of the sheets as he bent down to pick the baby up, looking over to see Caleb had also woken up and was getting out of bed. To muffle the sound of cries, Molly put Milo up against his shoulder while Caleb walked out of the room.

Bouncing Milo softly as he walked, Molly followed Caleb out of the room, finding the wizard already looking for the stuff needed to make the milk for the baby. Molly readjusted Milo in his arms as Caleb brought over the bottle of milk Nina had given them, placing it in the baby's mouth. Milo quieted instantly, pacified by his meal.

The sky was still dark outside. Too early to start making breakfast, so Caleb walked back into the room he was sharing with Molly and collapsed back on the bed. Molly stayed up late enough to finish feeding Milo, get him back to sleep, and climb back into bed. Once he was laid down again, he was fast asleep.

Unfortunately, he didn't sleep well.

He dreamt of a woman clothed in all blue with a strange, mystical aura around her. Her face was covered by a hood so he couldn't see what she looked like. Around her, icy flowers, bushes, and trees bloomed, growing in height to try and hide her. Another woman off to her left was decked out in the finest pale blue silk Molly had ever see in his life, several layers adorning her body. She was wearing a headpiece that looked like ice crystals, sharp and dangerous, but elegant. Her face wasn't covered by anything, and yet Molly still couldn't make out the features of her face.

The second woman extended a hand to him, icy steam falling from her finger tips, a cold he'd never felt before seeping into his bones. He tried to stop himself, but his feet worked on their own, pulling him toward her. He could tell by the dropping in his stomach that this was bad, that he was about to die. There was an invisible rope pulling him closer and closer to her and no matter how much he tried to escape, he couldn't.

Just as he was about to reach the strange woman with the headdress, the first woman pulled out her weapon and cut their connection. The second woman let out an ear-piercing scream before lunging at them both.

Molly awoke with a start. His sudden jolt caused one of his legs to react, and he accidentally kicked Caleb in the back of the leg. Hard. Caleb hissed as he woke up, rubbing the area where he was kicked, and turned to look at Molly, who was clutching his chest. Molly's skin was damp from the cold sweat the tiefling didn't even know he'd broken into, his breath coming out in the ragged way of someone who had narrowly escaped death.

"Mollymauk?" Caleb said, leaning up in bed. Sunlight was starting to flow in through the windows and birds softly sang outside, telling the wizard what time it was. If he listened carefully, he could make out the sounds of footsteps above, possibly Jester and Beau by the sounds of it, but it could also be Nott.

But that isn't his concern at the moment. He looks at Molly, who's sweating and scared and Caleb can't find the words to ask what's wrong. He's never been good at this thing, at helping people with their emotions. He isn't even good with helping  _himself_. He doesn't know what to do.

He isn't prepared for Molly to thrust his arm at him. "Am I cold?" the tiefling asked softly. Caleb raised a confused eyebrow at him, but gently ran his hand up and down the offered arm, taking in the warm skin beneath his touch.

"No," Caleb answered. "You are just as warm as you normally are."

"Okay," Molly whispered, his breathing slowing as he turned away from the wizard. "Okay." He removed the sheets from his lap and stood up, making to head to the door, but stopped and turned. "Is this reality?" he asked.

Now thoroughly worried, Caleb also pushed back the sheets and stood, making his way to Molly. "Yes," he said simply. Once he reached him, he inspected Molly closely, unnerving the tiefling. "Are you alright?" Caleb finally asked, when staring into Molly's eyes yielded no answers.

"Fine," Molly replied.

"You are sweating," Caleb pointed out. "You don't do that unless something bad happened."

"If you knew I wasn't fine, why did you ask?" Molly snapped, turning away from Caleb.

"...Because I didn't know what else to do?" Caleb answered, his voice raising slightly at the end, as if asking his statement. A shiver ran up Molly's spine at the words and he rubbed his arm, trying to get some warmth back into his body. Why did he feel so  _cold_?

"It was just a dream," Molly said, not looking up at Caleb before he turned and walked out of the room. Caleb reached out to stop him, but decided against it, seeing how upset Molly seemed.

Instead, Caleb chose to stay in the room and pack what few things he had pulled out and take it out to the main room. By the time everyone was up and had their things in the main room, Milo was up and making playful noises. He reached up to Caleb, who had hunched over the crib to pull him out, and instantly grabbed some of his hair firmly in one tiny hand.

"Ow!" Caleb hissed. "You have quite the grip." He struggled to support the baby and pry his hair from Milo's hand, but he somehow managed. Beau ran around the kitchen, making a fuss, clanging pots and pans in frustration. Scared by the sudden noise, Milo started crying.

"Beau!" Jester exclaimed, reaching out to try and grab the knife the girl had suddenly grabbed. "Beau, put that knife down." Her voice was stern, scary even, but Beau defied her.

"No!" she yelled. She was about to brandish it at the tiefling woman when a swift hand came down and grabbed her wrist while the other hand pulled the knife from her grip. She looked up and scowled at Molly, who was placing the knife in a cabinet on an out of reach shelf so she couldn't get it again.

"Do that again and I will smack you," he warned, heading over to Milo to try and calm him down. Yasha raised an eyebrow at him as she joined the others. Now Beau was crying, running up to Fjord and screaming that everyone was being mean to her. Caleb rubbed his forehead, trying to will away the headache that was forming from all the loud noise. He looked down when he felt a tug on his hand.

"Maybe we should go deal with the check out stuff downstairs?" Nott suggested.

Caleb took in the shit storm around them and nodded, gladly taking the out. "Ja," he replied, "let's do that." Having already passed Milo off to Molly, he and Nott snuck out of the room and headed downstairs.

Tentacia was at the bar, wiping it down, her motions slow and methodical. When she heard the two approach, she looked up at them and offered a warm smile. "Morning," she greeted. "How was your night?"

"Very good," Nott answered. "I slept very well. Thank you."

"Ja, uh, not so good," Caleb admitted. "It was, um, long."

Tentacia tilted her head. "Did the baby keep you up?" she asked.

"It wasn't just him," Caleb replied. "Molly and I had to talk."

Nott gasped, looking horrified. "With the baby in the room!?" she screeched.

"What do you think we were talking about?" Caleb asked before he stopped to think that he perhaps didn't want the answer to that question. Tentacia couldn't hold back a snort when Nott made a circle with one hand and inserted a finger in and out of it a couple times. "That's not what we talked about!" Caleb exclaimed, horrified, smacking her hands to make her stop the motion.

"Trouble in paradise?" Tentacia asked in an effort to diffuse the awkward tension in the air. Caleb just made a vague gesture with his hand. "I know all about that. What seems to be the problem?"

Nott made a strange sound beside Caleb. She went from one problem to another it seemed. "I'm going to go back to the room," she sighed and made her way back upstairs. Caleb blinked after her before turning back to the tiefling woman.

"Just...things are complicated," he answered after a moment. "We can't seem to figure out where we stand."

Tentacia nodded in understanding. "You'd best figure it out soon," she said. "When things don't get resolved quickly, they fester, and no one ends up happy." Her tail flicked slightly as she looked around the corner to her office. "Vera's had an awful time with this on-again, off-again boyfriend of hers," she explained, her voice low. "For years these two have been making grand declarations of love, but...they just can't figure things out. They're in two very different places."

Caleb felt sympathetic for the drow woman. Drow in general had a difficult time being accepted by society, he couldn't imagine what their love life was like. "I do not know what to do," Caleb confessed.

"For starters, consider where you both are," Tentacia suggested. "There's a baby involved. I'm not sure if you two are the main caregivers or not, but your tiefling companion does seem quite dedicated. If you're both acting as parents, you're on the same page there. Then you have to consider if you're on the same page in the romantic department." She leaned across the counter, her expression serious, but her eyes soft and comforting. "I saw the way he looked at you," she said. "When you were down here. He kept shooting you looks. He does care for you deeply. I'm not sure yet if it's love, but it could be, if it isn't already."

Drumming his fingers softly against the counter top, Caleb considered her words. It was part of what he and Molly discussed, though not in detail. Neither one really knew how they felt about the other. And the truth was, Caleb was scared to let himself fall in love again.

Tentacia straightened up again and picked up her cleaning cloth. "Make sure to let him know before someone else snatches him up," she said before returning to her work, sparing Caleb a single wink.

"I, uh...ja," he stumbled to say, a blush creeping up his face. "Um, we are leaving today, as well."

Tentacia nodded and smiled. "Thank you for letting me know," she said. "Safe travels, young wizard." She waved to him as he left, which he returned awkwardly. Young wizard? No one had ever called him that before.

And how did she know he was a wizard anyway?

Confused, Caleb made his way upstairs to find everyone packed and ready to head out. Yasha was holding Beau, who had calmed down, and Milo was chewing on one of the toys Nina had given him, also no longer screaming. "I think we're ready," Fjord announced and started heading to the door. Jester and Yasha followed, then Nott, but Molly hesitated, taking his time.

"Are you alright, Mollymauk?" Caleb asked.

"Fine," Molly replied. "Just a bit tired. Can you take Milo?" Caleb nodded and took the baby into his arms. Before he let Molly pull away, he pressed a kiss to the tiefling's cheek, earning a small, tired smile in return.

"I guess it's time to move on again," Molly said and moved toward the door. He and Caleb spared one more glance at the room before closing the door and walking away.


	8. Chapter 8

Beau was fast asleep against Jester's chest as night fell over the cart. Molly was up front, directing the horses as everyone else rested, Milo curled up next to Nott and Caleb. He had insisted that they keep moving forward, having no idea how long they had until the curse became permanent and feeling like they'd wasted a lot of time already.

Fjord rode alongside the cart on Dung, Yasha on Turtle. The two horses pulling the cart had been named Dragon and Horse, thanks to Beau, and they were currently trying to convince Jester to rename Dung Bunny.

"Can I ask you something?" Fjord asked when they pulled over to let the horses eat and drink. Molly petted Dragon's snout, the horse nudging his hand tiredly.

"Sure," Molly said, already setting to work setting up camp. They weren't going to be able to go much further with exhausted horses after all.

"How long have you and Caleb been a thing?"

Yasha looked intrigued by the question, as if she'd been wanting to ask the same thing. Molly sighed and shrugged. "Define thing," he replied.

"You know, together," Fjord said, waving a hand vaguely. "You and Caleb, a couple."

Molly snorted. "We aren't a couple," he replied, grabbing the tent sets and putting them on the ground so he could start putting them up. "We've been sleeping together for a couple months now, but we aren't a couple."

"A couple months?" Yasha asked. "How did none of us notice?"

Molly shrugged and looked up at her. "I'm a liar and he's awkward."

Fjord let out a dry laugh and nodded. "I guess that's true," he said. "So, you're not a couple, but do you want to be?" For a long moment, Molly was silent as he went about putting up tents. Yasha and Fjord exchanged a look, but finally, the tiefling man answered.

"I don't know," he said, his voice soft. "It's complicated."

Yasha walked over to him and started working on setting up another tent. "Is it?" she asked. "Why?"

Molly took a deep breath and looked at her. "Because being a couple means having emotions, and when have you known me to have emotions?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow at him and smirked slightly.

"Do you really want an answer?" she asked.

"I would, actually," Molly replied.

"Alright. How about right after we met and you drunkenly declared your love for everyone in the carnival?"

Molly snorted. "I don't think that counts as emotion."

"You were crying," she pointed out. "You draped yourself across Gustav's shoulders and wouldn't let him leave until he said he loved you back." She tried to hold back her laughter and failed. "Hell, you even said you love me and we hardly knew each other."

"Drunk me is crazy me," Molly retorted. "You can't trust him."

"I disagree," Yasha replied. "Drunk you is the only honest you, and therefore, the only one that can be trusted."

Molly waved a dismissive hand. Instead of answering, he hyper-focused on the task at hand, setting up the tent in record time. Once he had it set up, he climbed onto the cart and woke a sleepy Jester while Yasha and Fjord worked on the others. Jester rubbed her eyes and sat up, but when she heard there was a tent ready for her, she smiled a little and carefully picked Beau up, taking her out to the tent and laying her down softly.

Beau whined when she was laid down. "Jessie," she whined, reaching up to the tiefling woman without opening her eyes. Jester just chuckled and patted her head, tucking Beau into a bed roll and placing a blanket over her before laying down herself and pulling the child close again.

Fjord looked inside the tent and smiled at them. There wasn't room for him to join them, so he closed the tent's flap and walked over to his own tent. "Nott, are you going to join me?" he asked. "Or would you feel better sharing with Yasha?"

"I don't mind either way," Nott answered.

"You can sleep with me," Yasha said, finishing setting the last tent. 

"That means I get a tent all to myself," Fjord said in an almost dreamy voice. He didn't mind sharing a tent, really he didn't, but getting to spread out and have it all to himself was very nice. Very nice indeed.

And so, with the last of the tents up, he crawled into his, all alone, and laid down diagonally, taking up as much space as he could.

\-----

The next morning, Beau woke up when Milo did, slowly wiggling out of Jester's grasp. She made her way out of her tent to see Caleb was out by the fire, preparing a bottle for the baby instead of Molly. She was surprised, Molly had made it quite obvious he was the baby's primary guardian, but she wasn't going to complain. She liked Caleb.

She walked up to him and sat on the ground beside him. "Are we close to Zadash?" she asked when Milo started eating.

"Close," Caleb answered. "About another week if we keep up this pace."

"Will we get there before the curse becomes permanent?" she asked.

"I don't know," Caleb answered honestly. It wasn't the answer either of them wanted, but it was the truth. Caleb looked at the brand on her arm, letting out a soft sigh. "Your brand doesn't seem to be glowing, so I would say we have plenty of time."

Beau nodded, pretending to understand. She didn't know how magic worked, not really, especially this kind of magic. "Can people use magic that you've never seen before?" she asked curiously.

"Of course," Caleb replied. "There is all kinds of magic I have not seen yet."

Just as he was about to offer to make her food, seeing as she was still too young and her fine motor skills weren't so great anymore, the fire suddenly went out as the temperature dropped dramatically. Pulling Milo close and tucking him inside his coat, Caleb stood. "Beau, wake the others," he growled as he attempted to light the fire again, in vain. Each time the fire seemed to take, it went out again from a gust of freezing wind.

"Caleb, what's going on?" Jester asked when she emerged from her tent, Beau pressing close to her to keep warm. She ran her hands over her arms as she pulled out her shield, ready to fight.

The wind slowed, cold still clinging, as snow began to fall. It felt too familiar. "Leave the tents," he instructed. "Get on the cart."

Molly emerged from their tent, having been awoken by the sudden drop in temperature, which stirred memories he'd rather forget. Beau and Jester woke Fjord and Yasha before climbing onto the cart, Yasha taking the reigns after plopping a surprised Nott on the back.

"What do we do!?" Jester cried out as the first Yuki-Onna appeared, the sudden blizzard preventing the cart from moving. She reached out to pull Beau close when the bracelet on her arm caught her eye. Remembering what the hunters had told her before leaving their village, she slammed her hand against it, causing a field of energy to surround her before disappearing. The Yuki-Onna hissed, but didn't move toward her.

Caleb pulled himself onto Turtle's back, after handing Milo off to Molly, and began speeding away, using fire magic to melt the snow long enough for the cart to start moving. It took some time for the horses to get unstuck and find proper footing, but they managed, pulling the cart away from the two women who now stood at the mouth of the cart.

They managed to catch up with Caleb and Turtle quickly, but the snowy women behind them were also quick on their feet. Just when it seemed they would be able to make it, get away from them, one disappeared only to reappear  _in_ the cart. Jester screamed in surprise, but the other woman didn't seem to take note of her. Instead, she made to grab at Beau, who was the closest to the front.

"Back away, bitch!" Nott screamed as she tried to load a bolt into her crossbow. The Yuki-Onna turned her attention to the goblin woman and lunged at her, giving Jester enough time to slap Beau's bracelet, causing another field of magic to surround the child and disappear. Stunned by the sudden flow of magic, the Yuki-Onna turned back to where Jester and Beau were, but looked about, confused.

She grabbed both Fjord and Nott by their throats. "Where are they?" she asked, her voice low and terrifying. Fjord tried to claw her hand away, her icy flesh burning his throat and making it hard to breathe. Now with her crossbow loaded, Nott shot at her blindly, eyes screwed shut in pain, praying it landed. It missed, taking only a few strands of hair, but shocked the woman into releasing them.

Once released, Fjord lunged and tried to pin her down, his heart pounding against his chest. His stomach dropped when she growled at him and reached out, grabbing him and flipping him so he was the one pinned.

"Fjord!" Jester cried out, rising onto her feet. With one hand, Molly grabbed one of his swords and threw it at the Yuki-Onna, hitting her across the arm before falling to the floor of the cart. Jester reached out and, upon getting close to the Yuki-Onna, the pale woman screamed in pain and jumped away, clutching her arm. Beau, wanting to be strong for her friend, ran up the the Yuki-Onna, but before she could even touch her, the woman cried out again and jumped off the cart, writhing in pain on the ground behind the retreating cart. She screamed out in her native tongue. 

Beside her, the other woman came to a halt, knowing full well what magic had been used. Knowing there was nothing she could do, she helped her friend back home safely.

Milo's muffled cries brought everyone back to the present. They all crowded around him, trying everything in their might to calm the baby, to no avail; he was too scared from what had just happened.

"Yasha, they're gone," Jester said, poking her head out to the front, hoping for the cart to slow down.

"Caleb!" Yasha yelled ahead as she brought the cart to a normal pace. Barely hearing her, Caleb slowed Turtle and turned to rejoin the Mighty Nein. He tied Turtle sloppily to the cart and climbed on, making his way to the back with Molly and Milo, attempting to help calm the baby. Seeing their familiar faces helped a little, but Milo was still shaken up from the screams and fighting, and didn't stop crying. Beau was also shaken, though not as much, knowing she was completely helpless in that situation and many more to come, if they didn't break this curse soon.

Jester pulled her close. "Are you alright, Beau?" she asked softly, inspecting her closely. "Can anyone get a message to Caduceus? I think we may need his help."

"I can tell him to meet us in Zadash," Nott replied, "but it may take him too long to get there."

"We don't have much time left," Caleb replied, casting Dancing Lights in an effort to distract Milo by making them actually dance around. Perhaps he should try and see if he could make them bright colors at some point. "It would be a miracle if he could get to us in time."

"We'll barely make it to Zadash in time ourselves," Molly pointed out. "And there's no guarantee this Trent person will be able to help us, or willing to."

Beau buried her face in Jester's chest. She didn't want to think about the possibility of not being able to return to her normal age, having to go through childhood all over again. There was no doubt in her mind that it would be better than last time, with the Might Nein raising her instead, but she still didn't want to relive that nightmare. She hated being small and worthless. Not to mention she didn't particularly like the thought of having a little brother. She'd much rather be an aunt.

\-----

They finally made it to a small village outside of Zadash. There was a sense of relief and tension that ran through the hearts of the Mighty Nein, knowing they were so close now to what they needed. That night, the only person who slept was Milo.

Jester stayed in the room, watching Milo and Beau, while everyone headed back downstairs to drink. As they headed down, Caleb reached out and wrapped his fingers around Molly's elbow. The tiefling stopped to turn to him as the others continued on their way down to the tavern below.

"Can we speak, Mollymauk?" Caleb asked, looking a bit nervous.

"Of course we can," Molly replied, playful smile on his lips, "we have voices, don't we?"

Caleb did his best to let out a light chuckle, but it was clearly fake, considering the look on the wizard's face. Stepping back up onto the landing, Molly allowed Caleb to pull him toward the small sitting area next to a window adorned with flowers. For a long moment, Caleb wouldn't look at Molly as he wrung his hands together nervously. Out of habit, Molly reached out and placed a hand delicately on top of Caleb's, attempting to bring him some comfort. He leaned down to try and get the wizard's attention, which worked, as Caleb finally look at him.

"What's wrong?" Molly asked softly, afraid that if he spoke to loudly other people would invade the space they were occupying.

"It is...about what we had said," Caleb started, trying his best to find the right words, "about us." Molly nodded, encouraging him to continue. "How we did not know what we are."

"Right," Molly said, recounting the conversation they'd had so recently, yet so long ago. It felt like it had been so long since then, as so much had happened, but it wasn't that long ago. "What about it?"

"I was thinking...if you...I...perhaps we could...try? To be...more?"

Molly tilted his head a little and smiled. "Caleb, are you asking me out?" he asked, allowing the slightest hint of teasing into his voice? His tail swished happily at the blush that appeared on Caleb's face.

"Ja?" the wizard answered, unable to say more.

"So you want me to be your boyfriend?" He knew he was pushing it, but they both needed to be sure they were on the same page. No misunderstandings.

"Ja," Caleb replied, a bit more confident this time. Molly stood and walked over to Caleb, pressing a kiss to his cheek before pulling him to his feet.

"I would love to be more," Molly answered. "Now, let's go downstairs and celebrate."

Caleb didn't protest as Molly pulled him downstairs and ordered two drinks. He didn't protest as Molly kept ordering drinks, didn't question how many times their drinks had been refilled, just enjoyed the night.

Molly leaned over to tell Fjord the good news. "Fucking about time!" the half-orc man yelled and made a sloppy toast to the new couple. Even Nott looked happy when she heard the announcement, which Molly hadn't expected.

Around ten at night, the music started. It was lively music, loud and jovial, and most people stood to dance, some looking for partners. Having had a significant amount to drink, Caleb didn't fight back when Molly pulled him to his feet to dance, instead allowing the tiefling man to lead him in a series of twists and turns, dips and jumps. Eventually the pair picked up a pattern, and soon Caleb was leading Molly. The tiefling had a hand on his wizard's shoulder, his other holding the man's hand while Caleb let his hand fall to Molly's waist. 

Around them, friends and strangers alike clapped their hands and chanted along with the music while Molly and Caleb took center stage. They danced like two crazed lovers, which wasn't far from what they were, ending with Caleb pulling Molly up from a dip, from which he had teased the tiefling by leaning in close, but pulling away before their lips connected. Molly let out a frustrated growl, but was pleased when Caleb gave him the kiss he was waiting for when they were properly upright again. Cheers filled the room again and they were joined on the dance floor by couples that wanted to imitate their dance.

Molly pulled away from Caleb, slipping out of his lover's grasp to make his way toward the staircase. He had intended to let Caleb continue celebrating while he made his own way upstairs to let Jester go to sleep. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he missed Milo and was more than ready to cuddle up with the baby in bed. He missed how Caleb eyed him before following after him once he'd made it to the first landing.

Jester turned her tired eyes up to Molly once he entered the room he was sharing with Caleb, the one she'd been in all night so that Milo could easily be put down for the night. Beau was fast asleep on the bed, but Jester was able to pick her up without waking her. The little girl curled up in her grasp, pressing her cheek into her friend's shoulder.

"Milo fell asleep about half an hour ago," Jester whispered to Molly. "I know you said he should be asleep sooner than that, but he wouldn't go to sleep."

"It's fine," Molly assured her, though he knew it wouldn't be. Milo would be cranky the next day. But he didn't need to tell her that, instead he accepted her tired smile and closed the door after her. He then made his way over to the crib and looked down at the little green bundle. Knowing he smelled like alcohol and sweat, Molly walked into the small bathroom and washed himself as best he could. Once he walked back out, he carefully walked over to the crib again, so distracted he missed the sound of the door opening as he picked the baby up.

Caleb watched as Molly gingerly picked Milo up out of his crib, so gently the baby didn't wake, and pulled him close to his chest. The wizard couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face as he watched the tender moment in front of him. It wasn't until Molly was preparing to crawl onto the bed that he noticed Caleb, leaning against the door frame causally and watching him with a loving smile.

"Coming to bed?" Molly asked softly, pushing the sheets back.

"In a moment," Caleb answered, just as quietly, and changed his clothes before joining them. Placing Milo between them, Molly and Caleb allowed themselves to fall asleep and leave the worries of Zadash for morning.


	9. Chapter 9

Everything felt cold, but hot at the same time. Everything was too close, the walls were creeping in closer. Every noise was too close, yet too far at the same time. The hand in his own was searing his palm, but he didn't want to let go.

Caleb clutched it like a lifeline.

Molly inched closer, leaning down to try and make eye contact with the wizard, who turned away from him. He ran his fingers over Caleb's palm, pressing his long nails into it just enough for it to be soothing. The wizard drew in a deep breath before letting it out slowly, trying to calm himself. He felt Molly's tail wrap around his leg and focused on the sensation, allowing himself to be drawn into counting the number of times the tip of the tiefling's tail moved up and down.

"Caleb." It's a whisper, a soft call to the man, but he can't answer it.

 _I don't deserve you_ he thinks to himself as fire burns the edge of his vision as screams sounded in the distance.

"I need you to come back to me, Caleb," Molly said softly. He was now crouched in front of the wizard, looking up at him, trying to grab his attention, to no avail. "I know you're panicking, but we don't have time right now. We're leaving to meet with Ikithon in five minutes."

Molly hated the way he sounded saying that. Under normal circumstances, he'd let Caleb take all the time he needed to recover and come back to himself, but this was not a normal circumstance.

Perhaps it hadn't been a smart idea to wait until the day of the meeting to ask Caleb about Ikithon. No,  _clearly_ it wasn't a smart idea. Caleb squeezed his hand with surprising force as he mumbled that he was fine, that he'd  _be_ fine, just needed a couple more minutes. A couple more minutes they didn't have.

"We don't have to go," Molly assured him. "There's gotta be another way to fix this, right?"

"If there is, I would like to hear it," Caleb muttered, finally looking down at Molly, who was biting his lip.

"Maybe we can talk to one of the other mages?" he suggested. "Or find someone else that's good with magic. Ikithon isn't the only powerful wizard, after all."

Caleb fixed him with a stare, but there was no real strength behind it. "We do not know any other powerful wizards," Caleb pointed out, "except the one that cursed Beau in the first place.

It was true, and there was nothing Molly could say to refute him. "Perhaps we could stay here?" he suggested then. "We could have Yasha go and meet with him on her own with Beau. I'm sure she'd be fine with that."

As if summoned by her name, Yasha walked into their room, Milo wide awake but curled up in her arms. "Are you ready to go?" she asked hesitantly when she saw Caleb. The wizard leaned down, arms resting on his knees, forehead pressed to his arms, shaking with fear at the thought of leaving. They'd made their way into the city proper, but once they'd reached the Pillow Trove, Molly had asked him about Trent Ikithon and now...now he couldn't stop thinking about everything that could go wrong.

Molly stood, slowly removing his hand from Caleb's grasp, and walked over to her to speak privately. "Do you think you and Beau can go without us?" he asked, closing the door behind him so they were in the hallway. Yasha turned on her heel and made her way to the room she was sharing with Nott so they would have some proper privacy. "He...I don't think he can meet with Ikithon."

"Beau told me about what happened," Yasha admitted. "Children can't keep secrets. All I had to say was I wonder why Caleb seemed so worried and she was telling me everything." Molly nodded. For a moment, they stood in silence, waiting until they were in the other room to speak again. Nott looked up curiously when they entered.

"Morning," she greeted, but Molly was too preoccupied to answer.

"So, can you go without us?" he asked again, more firmly this time.

"I think we can manage," Yasha replied. "Ikithon said he was interested in hearing from me again, so I don't think getting in to see him will be hard. But convincing him to help us...that's another story."

Nott looked at them, perplexed, trying to piece together what they were talking about. She didn't like to consider herself dumb, but she wasn't great at reading people, at least her friends. Finally, she asked, "What are you talking about?"

Molly turned to her, startled. "Caleb," he answered. "I don't think he's well enough to meet with Ikithon."

Nott let out a sigh of relief. "He's changed his mind," she said softly. "Well, let's move on then! We can find another mage, perhaps in time to break the curse!"

As she was about to run past them, Yasha grabbed the collar of her shirt, pulling her back into the room. "That's not the plan," she told the goblin woman. "Beau and I will still be going, with whoever wants to come with us."

"I want to stay with Caleb," Nott declared.

"And you can," Yasha assured her.

"That would be much appreciated," Molly agreed. "Having someone else around to help him while I watch the baby isn't a bad idea. He needs someone's undivided attention right now."

The goblin woman didn't wait, instead bolting from the room to head to the one Caleb was in as Molly took Milo from Yasha. "I should head down," the barbarian declared once she was free of her babysitting duty. "I'm sure the others are waiting for me. I'll explain the situation to them."

"Thanks," Molly said, walking out with her. They separated when they reached Molly and Caleb's room, Yasha heading downstairs, Molly nervously watching her disappear from sight. Taking a deep breath and sending a prayer to the Moonweaver, he made his way back into his room, Milo pressed safely into his arms, and sat down with Caleb and Nott.

Milo looked up at his father and reached out for him. Hesitantly, Caleb reached out and pulled him close, stroking the baby's hair while the little child looked around curiously. Caleb watched each movement intensely, letting his focus on his son ground him and bring him back to reality. He couldn't afford to let the little bundle slip from his grasp, like the cup of water he'd been drinking when his panic attack had started.

"How are you feeling?" Nott asked, placing a hand on his knee to get his attention.

"I am doing better now," he replied, still watching Milo, who was currently chewing on his fist. Holding the baby up with one hand, Caleb snapped his fingers and called Frumpkin to the room. The cat climbed up onto the chair Molly was sitting on and leaned in close to sniff at Milo, who reached out a hand and hit Frumpkin in the head. Unhappy with the action, Frumpkin's ears flattened out, but Molly kept him at bay by petting his fur softly.

"Milo, no hitting," Molly scolded softly, taking the baby's hand and running it through Frumpkin's fur. The fey cat was hesitant to let the baby touch him again, but he calmed down when, with Molly's assistance, little Milo didn't hit him again. Milo giggled, face alight with the wonder that came from a child learning something new and exciting. In this instance, it was Milo learning that he liked cats.

\-----

Beau was resting against Jester's hip, having been hoisted up by the cleric before they entered the Hall of Erudition. The normally chipper and expressive woman was now silent as she followed behind Yasha and Fjord, which made Beau's stomach churn and compress, flip and turn. She clutched at her friend's neck and hung to it tightly, trying to make herself as small as possible.

Fjord slowed down to walk with them and wrapped a protective arm around Jester's waist. Yasha stood up tall before them, trying to block them from the eyes of those who would do them harm. This was not a safe place they'd entered, not for enemies.

They wondered if that's what they were considered.

There was a desk, where an elvish woman sat, giving directions to some lost students. The Mighty Nein approached the desk once the students left, feeling more confident in figuring out the school. The woman looked up at them and gave them the best smile she could muster up, but she seemed confused and suspicious of them. "How may I help you?" she asked kindly.

"Uh, hi, yes, my name is Yasha," Yasha informed her nervously. "My friends and I were wondering if Trent Ikithon was here. We would like to speak with him."

The woman looked through some papers, asking "May I ask what business you have with the Archmage?" Yasha turned to her companions, looking for assistance or guidance, but they have her neither.

"I, uh, spoke with him at the Victory Pit some time ago and would like to speak with him about his offer," she replied. Her voice was soft, barely more than a whisper, her nerves seeping into it. The woman looked up at her and nodded.

"I know Archmage Ikithon can be an intimidating man, but you have no reason to be wary of him," she assured. "He means well and treats everyone with respect and kindness." Yasha had to force herself not to make any comments on that, instead choosing to smile and nod. "It seems that the Archmage is indeed here today to speak with Headmaster Hass. If you would follow me." She stood from her desk, waving her hand and a sign appearing stating that she would be back shortly, she led the small group to one of the higher floors, where she instructed them to sit and wait for a moment. She disappeared into a room and didn't reemerge for almost twenty minutes.

When she emerged back into the waiting area, she seemed a bit flustered, but smiled and let them know all had gone well. "He is currently speaking with the Headmaster, but he will be alerted of your presence when they are done," she explained to them. "His secretary will pass on the message. For now, just be patient."

The Mighty Nein nodded in understanding. As she walked away, Beau's arm began to glow faintly for a minute, then faded again.

"Didn't Caleb say that's bad?" Fjord asked nervously, inspecting her arm. In the back of her throat, Beau made a noise like a dying animal, which some people would agree she was. An animal, at least.

"Don't worry, it will be fixed very soon," Jester promised, kissing the top of her head and smiling reassuringly at her. It didn't stop the girl from crying, however, no matter how much she tried to hold back her tears. They were silent, keeping her sobs at bay. When she saw them, Jester wiped them away with the soft fabric of her sleeve. She rocked Beau back and forth, comforting the girl as best she could. "Do you want me to sing to you?" she asked Beau. "I learned some from my Mama growing up." Beau didn't say anything, but nodded her head.

Jester's voice wasn't as pretty as Marion's, but it was better than most Beau had heard, and she did find comfort in it. She pressed her ear to her friend's chest and allowed the vibrations to soothe her until her tears stopped, when she leaned back to actually listen to the words.

_"And he sailed from the sea  
to meet with his bride_

_And when he saw her  
he wanted her by his side_

_The wind in her hair_  
_the sea on her skin_

_The sun in her eyes  
He wondered if she was the moonlight's twin"_

It was a nice song, though Beau's child mind couldn't grasp what it was about. But the rhythmic way Jester sang was soothing, and that's what she cared about.

She was just truly calming down when the door opened and another woman, a dwarf, walked into the waiting area, a short, dark-skinned man standing behind her. "Hello," the man greeted, walking out to shake everyone's hands. "Yasha, correct?" he asked when he shook Yasha's hand. She nodded, shocked that he'd remembered her name. "I hear you want to speak with Trent."

"Yes," she replied. "Will he see me?"

"Of course he will!" Oremid Hass replied boisterously, his wide smile consuming most of his face. "In fact, he will see you now. I've offered up my office for your meeting." He stood and waved her in, but she turned to Jester and Beau, holding out her hand for the child. Scrambling from Jester's lap, Beau took her hand tightly in both of hers and followed her into the office.

Trent Ikithon was standing at the window, the sun casting him in foreboding shadows. He turned when he heard the door close, raising a curious eyebrow at the child trailing after the aasimar woman. "I was not aware you have a child," he said and waved at the chairs in front of the desk while he took a seat behind it.

"Actually, she's why I'm here," Yasha replied while Beau shyly hid behind her, poking her head out to look at the man every couple seconds. When she accidentally made eye contact, she ducked back behind Yasha's leg.

Trent nodded his head, but Yasha wasn't sure of what he meant by the movement. She took a seat, but didn't pressure Beau to come out from behind her and sit in the other chair. Beau was scared, she wasn't about to make the situation worse by making her face the man without protection. She didn't feel weird about being the girl's shield.

"This is actually Beau, the woman I was with when we met," Yasha explained, reaching back and patting Beau's head before removing her hand and returning to her previous position.

Trent nodded his head. "So, she was cursed," he stated.

"Yes," Yasha answered, "and we wanted to know if you could help. We didn't know anyone else who could help, since Caleb isn't-"

"Caleb?" Trent asked, cutting her off. Yasha's eyes widened in horror as she realized the mistake she made, and Beau tugging on her hand harshly didn't help the situation. "Caleb Widogast?"

Yasha cleared her throat, trying to school herself into a confused look, or something neutral, just something that didn't give everything away. "I don't know what you're talking about," she lied. She drew in a sharp breath when he stood and walked over to her, standing over her. Beau whimpered and tried to hide more behind Yasha, even tried to hide under her chair.

"I can help you," he said, "but I will need you to do something for me first."

\-----

"It's not happening," Yasha insisted as the Mighty Nein made their way back to the Pillow Trove. "We'll just have to find another way."

"But what happened?" Fjord asked, scooping Beau into his arms as he followed Yasha, Jester trailing behind them.

"Yasha, please tell us," she pleaded, reaching out and taking her friend's hand. Still, Yasha pressed on, not stopping or saying anything until they reached the inn. Once there, she stopped as if the interior could protect her and Beau from what had happened.

"He won't help us," Yasha said simply once she finally said something. Beau hid her face in Fjord's shoulder, not wanting to look at her friends as she cried because she was honestly terrified.

Her curse may never be broken.

They made their way up to Molly and Caleb's room to tell them the news. When they opened the door, Yasha's heart broke.

Molly, Caleb, and Nott were playing with Milo on the ground and cheering, looking like something amazing had happened. When the baby looked up at the group standing in the doorway, he giggled and said "Mama!" proudly, to no one in particular. Nott cooed and Molly looked close to tears.

But when Caleb looked at them, the smile on his face slipped when he saw Beau was still a child. "Beau," he said, but it was the only thing he could get out. Molly and Nott looked up at the door and had a similar reaction.

Molly stood and pulled them all in, closing the door behind them. "What happened?" he asked. "Clearly he refused to help."

"Not exactly," Yasha replied. She might have been able to keep Ikithon's demands from Fjord and Jester, but she couldn't keep it from Molly, especially when it indirectly affected him.

Molly looked at her with a confused face, and each second that passed in silence made the confusion fall and horror appear. "What did he do?" he asked her.

"Nothing," she replied. "He didn't do anything. But he wanted something."

Caleb walked over to join them, leaving Milo on the floor with Nott to take care of him. He felt his chest squeeze tightly, his breath coming out in short bursts. He knew Ikithon, and he knew what he could do, what he could ask of a person. Yasha was clearly shaken up, which was not comforting.

"What did he want?" he asked as he took his place beside Molly, taking the tiefling's hand. Molly laced their fingers together and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Yasha still didn't answer, and now Caleb was getting mad. He needed to know what it was that had Yasha so nervous and Beau so scared. "Yasha!" he snapped. Everyone's attention snapped to him, giving him terrified looks. They'd never heard him snap at one of them like that. "What did he say?" His voice came out in a growl. Yasha looked between him and Molly, trying to decide what to do. "What. Does. He. Want?" She gave Molly an apologetic look and turned back to Caleb.

"You."


	10. Chapter 10

Molly hadn't felt this much tension since he almost died. Actually, with the way Caleb was standing and Fjord was pacing, it felt like there was more tension than when he'd almost died. Nott and Jester stayed at the Pillow Trove with Milo, Fjord and Yasha coming with the couple to the Hall of Erudition. Beau was sitting on Yasha's lap, Molly to her side, watching Caleb stand rigidly next to the large window.

Molly stood suddenly and made his way over to Caleb, grabbing the wizard's attention. "Let's go talk," he whispered, though everyone heard it in the silence of the room, taking Caleb's hand and leading him out of the waiting room. He found an empty room and turned to Caleb.

"Caleb, talk to me," he said, a hint of insistence in his voice, though he kept it soft. "We're a team, Caleb."

Caleb pulled Molly in close, wrapped his arms around him tightly. Molly wrapped his arms around Caleb and ran his fingers through his hair, pressing a kiss to Caleb's cheek. "You're shaking," Molly whispered.

"I cannot decide if I want to kill him or not," Caleb said into Molly's shoulder, his voice muffled.

Molly pushed him away enough that he could look the wizard in the eye. "If you do, if you attack him, I'll have your back," he promised.

Caleb pressed a kiss to Molly's lips before heading back to the waiting room to rejoin the others, his hand never leaving his lover's. The time between Caleb and Molly returning and Oremid Hass appearing was short, too short for everyone's liking. 

"He will see you now," Oremid Hass said, waving Caleb into the room. Gripping his hand tightly, Molly walked with him, ignoring Hass' protests.

There was nothing about Trent Ikithon that made him appear like the horrifying monster Caleb had described him as, but appearances were only part of a person. There was an aura that clung to the man as not just he turned to look at the couple, but two other, younger, mages did as well. From the woman's bright red hair and the way Caleb gripped his hand, Molly guessed who these two were.

Astrid and Eodwulf were dressed in the most beautiful armor Molly had ever seen, white and gold with the crest of the empire across the front and on their pauldrons, long, flowing cloaks draped across their backs, ticking the floor. Molly could see why Caleb had loved Astrid, her long, bright red hair cascaded down her shoulders in loose waves, tied back at the base of her neck. Bright green eyes turned to face them, a glint of recognition and something else Molly couldn't place lighting them up.

Eodwulf scared Molly, but Astrid threatened him.

They turned to face them properly when Ikithon made his way toward the young couple. For his part, Caleb was holding his own quite well. Molly drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, standing as tall as he could, hand in Caleb's reassuringly. "Caleb Widogast," Trent Ikithon said in the most mundane yet menacing way Molly had ever heard. Caleb just tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"I never thought to be here," Caleb replied cooly. As the two men stared each other down, Molly felt a tickle at his back, as if someone had lightly touched him, and he swore the room felt colder. He was just about to say something to Caleb in the code the Mighty Nein had made when he felt something push him away from the wizard, stumbling a few steps away from him.

"I will have to give your friend Yasha my gratitude for bringing you here today," Ikithon said. At that moment, both Astrid and Eodwulf let loose spells they'd been preparing since the arrival of the couple. Asrtid's spell made Caleb's body go rigid, unable to move while Eodwulf's hit Molly, something invisible gripping the tiefling's throat. Whatever it was, Molly could feel it, and clawed at it desperately, but with each movement he made, each swipe and scratch, its grip only tightened. He gasped for air, trying to breathe, to prevent himself from falling unconscious, but the edges of darkness were already creeping up on him.

When he was sure he was going to pass out, he felt a dramatic drop in temperature. He thought he was hallucinating, thought that his mind was creating the snowflakes that fell around him, but there was no mistaking the perfectly formed icicles that appeared out of nowhere as a body materialized out of thin air. Both Astrid and Eodwulf were struck in the chest by the icicles, which seemed to meld with their bodies, and their spells fell. Barely clinging to consciousness, Molly fell to the ground, landing harshly on his arm as he gasped and coughed, drawing air into his lungs again. He felt Caleb harshly pull him into his embrace before pulling him to his feet.

Snow filled the air as Molly and Caleb looked at the woman in the strange dress before them, seeming familiar to them, but they couldn't place why. Her face was familiar, but there was something about her appearance now that kept them from putting a name to her face. "Go," she told them with a firmness that left no room for argument. The couple turned toward the door and made their way to it.

Trent Ikithon, infuriated by the turn of events, threw the most powerful fire bolt at them that he could manage to create in the room, but it was stopped by a wall of ice and snow. The Yuki-Onna standing before him eyed him with glowing blue eyes, a threat to all but the man who dared to defy her unspoken demand. He readied another spell as Molly and Caleb found their friends, screaming at them incomprehensibly, dragging them out of the room and out of the Hall of Erudition in a panic.

When they emerged from the building, the Yuki-Onna was already waiting for them outside. Her black hair was longer than it was a couple weeks ago when they last saw her, but the Mighty Nein recognized who she was.

"Tsuki," Fjord said. "You look...so different."

"We don't have time for chit-chat," she said, approaching them quickly. "Beau, how is your arm?"

Beau looked down at it before holding it out to Tsuki, who bent down in front of her to inspect it. The glyphs began to glow softly before fading again. "There isn't much time," Tsuki said.

"Can you help?" Fjord asked.

"I can't," Tsuki replied, "but I think I know someone who can."

Molly looked back at the Hall of Erudition. "What did you do in there?" he asked. "Did you kill them?"

"No, just left them cold and shocked," Tsuki replied.

"Shame," Molly commented, turning his attention back to her.

Fjord cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "So, you said you know someone that can help?" he asked. "Can you take us to this person?" Tsuki nodded as she stood, letting go of Beau's hand.

"I cannot guarantee that she will help, however," she said. "I...haven't spoken to her in a long time."

Yasha took her hands and held them tightly in her own. "Please," she begged, "we're desperate to break this curse."

Tsuki rearranged their hands so the Yuki-Onna was clasping the aasimar's hands in hers. "I didn't say I wasn't going to try," she assured her, "but that I can't promise it will work."

Before anyone could say anything else, there was the strange sensation of walking through water, and then they were in front of a castle made of ice, a blizzard blowing snow around them, the air biting their skin harshly. Caleb was glad he had his coat on, knowing that even though he felt like it was doing nothing to keep him warm, he was doing better than those who didn't have a coat.

Several pairs of dark eyes turned to face them as they approached the door, sneers leaving a few lips. Pretty faces contorted as Tsuki approached, turning their noses up at her. 

She spoke to them in her native tongue, a language none of the Mighty Nein could understand. The woman she was speaking to considered her words for a moment, an amused look on her face, before turning to a pair of other Yuki-Onnas and speaking to them. They turned and entered the castle, the one Tsuki spoke to turning to the Mighty Nein.

"It would seem our fallen sister would like to meet with the Dai-Onna," the woman commented. "Some of my other sisters have gone to see if she will see you, but I would not get your hopes up. She is a very busy woman, and she does not fraternize with mortals and traitors." She gave Tsuki a pointed look before waving the Mighty Nein inside.

Once inside, Caleb ran his fingers over Molly's neck, which was now bruising. "How are you?" he asked, unable to ask anything else.

"I've been better," Molly replied, "but I think staring at the end of a glaive is scarier than being nearly choked to death by an invisible hand. Though, neither one is ideal." Caleb gave him a look, which had him deflating a bit. "But I guess there are higher stakes now, aren't there?"

Caleb's heart skipped a beat when he saw the panicked look on his face. "Milo's back in Zadash with Jester and Nott," Molly rushed out as he gripped Caleb's arms.

"I think he's better there than here," Caleb said before thinking. He and Molly looked at their surroundings, the icy interior of the surprisingly warm castle. It wasn't tropical by any means, but it was much better than being outside.

Molly wrapped his arms around Caleb and buried his face in his shoulder, letting the wizard pull him close in a tight embrace. Neither of them thought about anything until they felt a pair of tiny arms wrap around their legs and they looked down to see Beau was trying to hug them. She looked up at them and held out her arms, so Caleb bent down and picked her up, pulling her into their little embrace.

It wasn't long before the other two joined them, and Caleb finally got that Yasha hug he'd heard so much about. She really did give the best ones.

\-----

"The Dai-Onna will see you."

It was the Yuki-Onna from earlier, the one that had led them to the waiting area they were in. Beau was fast asleep against Caleb's chest, having fallen asleep sometime during their long wait. They all stood carefully, making sure not to wake the little girl.

The Yuki-Onna was wearing several layers, each more intricate than the last, her hair pulled up and a blue flower hair piece keeping her long black hair out of her face. She walked with a grace none of them had ever seen before, walking like her feet weren't touching the ground, or even moving. Her hands were folded in front of her politely.

"The Dai-Onna is in a good mood today," the woman commented as they walked down a long hallway. "She is speaking with Tsuki right now as we speak."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we got your name," Fjord said, trying to be cordial to their hostess. She stopped and turned to face him, her manners winning out over her clear disgust with the situation.

"My name is Miyu," she said and bowed to them. "I already know who all of you are. Now, it would not be wise to keep the Dai-Onna waiting, it is rude to keep her waiting." Fjord nodded and allowed her to lead the way to the end of the hall, to the large, looming door.

The Mighty Nein didn't know what to expect on the other side of that door, but it wasn't what they saw. A grand hall, high ceilings, and beautiful arched pillars were only part of the amazing decor for the room, and not the first thing any of them noticed. Instead, they all saw the woman at the head of the long table, wearing the same intricate, layered dress as Miyu, except it was somehow much more intricate. Then there was the beautiful head piece she was wearing, which looked like icicles, and the small diamonds that jingled as she moved her head looked like small beads of ice. The diamonds tinkled softly as she looked up at them, a strange smile gracing her lips.

"Hello," she greeted, Tsuki moving from the woman's side uncomfortably. "My sister here tells me you would appreciate my assistance with something. May I ask what that is?"

The Mighty Nein all exchanged glances, having a silent debate about who would speak. This woman was gorgeous, Molly wasn't going to deny that, but no way was he going to talk to her. She looked like she could snap him in half just by looking at him weird, and he wasn't down for that. Anymore, at least.

"Uh, our friend here needs your help," Fjord explained, stepping up to the plate. "She was cursed by some random wizard and we need someone to break the curse for her." He pointed out the still sleeping Beau, who was twitching a little, like she was about to wake up.

The Dai-Onna tilted her head again, her icy eyes inspecting the little girl with a look that no one could place. It was like she knew something they didn't.

"And what exactly is her curse?" the Dai-Onna asked. She stood from her seat, Miyu moving her chair aside. Two other Yuki-Onnas rushed to her side, one with her long hair down, the other had hers braided and thrown over her shoulder. They had their heads down politely, waiting for instructions from their queen.

"Well, she's not actually a child," Fjord explained, "but a full grown woman." The Dai-Onna nodded, her smile growing on her pretty face. She was practically glowing.

"You all have a strong bond with her," the Dai-Onna commented, "if you are willing to ask for help from a stranger, such as myself. And, from what Tsuki tells me, you were attacked by some of my sisters along the way. This must not have been an easy decision for you."

She turned her eyes to Molly, who was standing slightly in front of Caleb and Beau in an almost protective manner. Her smile deepened into a smirk and she held out a hand toward him. "You, however, seem to have the most fragile bond with her," she stated. "You would rather be in the safety of your own home right now, as opposed to here, before me."

Molly shuffled slightly, uncomfortable. "But I'm here," he pointed out.

"Not because you chose to come."

He looked over at Tsuki, who also had her head bowed, refusing to look at anyone. It must have been an old habit. "Sure, I didn't choose to come, but I would have if I'd been given the option," he stated firmly.

The Dai-Onna let out a soft chuckle, almost a scoff. "Are you trying to convince me, or yourself, Mollymauk?" And Molly felt his chest clench in panic.  _How does she know my name?_ he asked himself. "I know quite a bit about you. All of you." She waved her hand toward the empty seat opposite her. "Please, come prove to me how much your friend means to you."

Tsuki opened her mouth to say something, to protest, but the Dai-Onna snapped her fingers and nothing came from Tsuki's mouth. "Please, Tsuki, you have done plenty of damage to us," the Dai-Onna commented, giving her a pointed look. "Come now."

Slowly, Molly made his way to the table and took the seat the Dai-Onna had waved him to earlier. "So, what am I doing?" Molly asked as he lowered himself into the seat. The Yuki-Onna with the braided hair moved to his side and placed a cup in front of him and poured something into it. The liquid didn't appear to be anything more than water.

"If you can drink three cups, I will help you," she said, taking the cup offered to her by the other Yuki-Onna. Miyu pulled out the chair at the Dai-Onna's right and sat beside her queen.

 _That's it?_ Molly asked himself as he looked down at the cup of water.  _What's so special about this water?_ The Dai-Onna raised her cup in a toast and started drinking, so Molly did the same.

And immediately regretted it.

It felt like he was drinking shards of glass that were cutting his throat as it went down. He choked on whatever it was he was drinking, which was clearly not water, but managed to drink it all. The Dai-Onna took her time drinking her own cup, placing her cup carefully on the table in front of her with a smirk on her lips. "Are you enjoying our water?" she asked. So it  _was_ water. "You won't find it anywhere but here."

"It feels like I'm drinking fucking glass," Molly snapped between coughs.

"Ice," the Dai-Onna replied, her blue eyes alight with intrigue and enjoyment. "To outsiders, it feels like ice."

Molly couldn't disagree. Glass, icicles, they all felt the same when they cut. The Yuki-Onna with the braid filled his glass again and stepped away from the table after she placed the water container back on the table. The other Yuki-Onna did the same, stepping away from the table with a bow. The Dai-Onna raised her glass, tilting it in a toast toward the tiefling.

"Enjoy," she said sarcastically, immediately drinking again. Cringing and trying to prepare for the worst, Molly raised the cup to his lips again and started drinking.

 _What fucking god did I piss off to deserve this?_ Molly swore in his head, feeling the pain course through not just his throat, but his whole body now, into his blood. He stopped halfway through to take a moment to breathe, which did nothing to help the situation. The warmer air entering his lungs made his body feel like it was on fire, and he was taking all of the damage it inflicted on him.  _For Beau_ he told himself and persevered, finishing up the cup before leaning over the table, digging his nails into its top to force back his screams. He felt like someone was trying to rip him apart from the inside out.

"You have quite a high constitution," the Dai-Onna commented. "I have yet to meet anyone else who could make it through one. I am thoroughly impressed." Molly glared up at her to find that same infuriating smirk on her lips. She seemed so proud of herself, of the situation, of seeing his friends squirm not to scream at him in fear of waking Beau. Molly knew that look well; she was getting sick satisfaction from watching him die.

Gasping, fingers still digging deep into the tabletop, he sat up in defiance. "You said three," he commented, his voice coming out as a barely audible growl that tore up his throat and made him want to throw up. It was worse than any throat-ache from a cold he'd endured in his life. He wondered if there really was glass in his water and that's why the Dai-Onna wasn't affected.

"Molly," he heard Caleb say softly.

 _Is this really fucking worth it?_ Molly asked himself as the Yuki-Onnas refilled the two cups one last time. He gripped it tightly in his left hand, glaring down at the offending liquid.  _Does Beau really deserve this? Do I really need to do this? Has she ever done anything like this for me before? I have Milo to think about!_

The Dai-Onna's smirk dropped from her face as she tilted her head back slightly, observing curiously. She knew what he was thinking, could see it written all over his face. Knowing he would back out wasn't a surprise, but it was disappointing; she really did want to see if he could go all the way.

Molly slammed his hand on the table firmly, growling something out in Infernal. The Dai-Onna raised an eyebrow, but raised her cup, smirk re-appearing on her lips. "One more cup," she said and began to drink.

Taking a deep breath, Molly began to drink before he could talk himself out of it. He got halfway through before he started choking, but this time, when he pulled the cup away, it wasn't because of that. No, it was because he felt something coming back up.

He pulled his cup away and coughed up an alarming amount of blood. Beau woke up then and saw the blood coming out of his mouth and screamed. "Molly!" she cried out, tears falling from her eyes and loud sobs tearing from her throat. She tried to jump out of Caleb's grasp and run over to the tiefling, but she couldn't get out of the wizard's grasp.

Molly wiped the blood from his mouth, cursing himself for not being able to finish this. _I'm a fucking blood hunter!_ he yelled at himself.  _Get your shit together, Mollymauk! This is for Beau!_ He looked up to see the Dai-Onna place her cup on the table again, licking her lips in a satisfied manner. _I'm not letting her win._

With a shaking hand, Molly raised the cup to his mouth again. Interest piqued, the Dai-Onna leaned forward in her seat, placing her chin on one of her hands, eyes narrowing. Tilting the cup back, Molly raised a middle finger to her as he began drinking again, slower that time, ignoring the fact that there was now blood in his water. No matter how badly he shook, no matter how bad the pain was, ignoring the way his vision blurred, he refused to lower his defiant hand. When he was done, he slammed the cup back on the table.

"Alright, bitch, time to uphold your end of the deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of these days I will go through and fix any spelling or grammar errors. Today is not that day.


	11. Chapter 11

There was a stunned silence following Molly's outburst. Miyu looked offended while her queen looked at him with the slightest hint of shock. Caleb handed Beau over to Fjord before rushing over to Molly, crouching by his side, panic on his face. He began to ask questions, so quickly and worriedly he didn't notice how he slipped into Zemnian and Molly couldn't understand him.

"Caleb," he whispered, putting a hand on the wizard's shoulder, "I can't understand you."

"You sound bad," Caleb commented absently.

"I'm pretty sure I just drank poison," Molly replied, coughing again while rubbing his throat. "I think I'll be fine, though."

The Dai-Onna waved at the Yuki-Onna that had been pouring Molly's drink and she left the room, the other one bringing over a tea cup and placing it in front of the tiefling. Holding Molly's hand tightly, Caleb stood and faced the Dai-Onna, who was smiling again.

"Are you going to uphold your end of the bargain then?" he asked, his voice coming out in a growl of anger and frustration. The younger Yuki-Onna with the braid pushed the tea cup toward Molly, who eyed it suspiciously.

"It will help you feel better," she explained shyly. Still eyeing it suspiciously, Molly picked up the cup and began to drink from it, allowing the warmth it brought seep into his bones. He did, in fact, feel much better.

That was when the Dai-Onna spoke. "I gave you my word that I would help you," she answered. "I cannot break this curse myself." The Mighty Nein burst out into angry shouts and threats, but she never once wavered. She never once flinched or backed away in fear. She raised her hand once it was clear the group wouldn't stop screaming, irritation written on her face. "I said I cannot break the curse myself, not that I cannot help you."

Molly gripped Caleb's hand, holding the wizard back from attacking in one way or another. The Dai-Onna was too strong, they could all feel it, _sense_ it in the aura that surrounded her. The other Yuki-Onnas moved away slightly as their queen made her way over to the Mighty Nein.

"Then how can you help?" Yasha asked, drawing herself up to her fullest height in an effort to intimidate the other woman. The Dai-Onna simply walked up to Yasha and stood before her, looking up into the aasimar woman's eyes, and folded her hands in front of her.

For a moment, neither moved, sizing each other up. Then, satisfied, the Dai-Onna smiled again. "I don't know if you're very brave or very stupid," she commented, "but you have guts." The Dai-Onna picked Beau up and placed her on the table next to Molly. "As you said, you upheld your end of our deal, so I must uphold mine. I am a woman of my word, after all. Kouri." The Yuki-Onna with the braids approached her and looked up at her. The Dai-Onna spoke to her in a soft voice in their mother tongue, and then the younger woman disappeared. "Now, why don't we all have a cup of tea while we wait for her to return with our guest," she suggested, the other Yuki-Onna already setting out cups for everyone.

"I don't want to sound rude," Fjord said, eyeing the cup suspiciously, "but who is this guest you speak of?"

The Dai-Onna popped a grape in her mouth, offering food to her guests. "Your friend, the wizard."

\-----

It was a good thing Jester was back at the Pillow Trove with Nott and Milo, because if she was there, there was no doubt she would incinerate Harry the moment she saw him, and then the Mighty Nein would be truly screwed. Beau, however, did punch him several times in the shin with her tiny fists. It was amusing to the Mighty Nein, who didn't make any efforts to stop her.

"Welcome to our home," the Dai-Onna greeted as she re-entered the dining hall, opening her arms in a grand gesture. "I have heard you have already met my other guests, Harry."

"Harry Ambrose," the older wizard introduced, taking her hand and placing a kiss to it as he bowed low before her. At least he knew some manners for those who were clearly superior to him.

"Please, sit," the Dai-Onna instructed, placing Beau in the seat beside her and ran her fingers through the girl's hair. "I am sure you are wondering why I have brought you here," she said once Harry and everyone situated themselves. Miyu had taken her place at the Dai-Onna's right side, Harry at her other side.

"I must say, Your Grace, I was surprised to see one of your ladies come to escort me here," Harry answered.

"Kouri is not one of my ladies," the Dai-Onna corrected, "she is one of my sisters."

"My apologies, Your Grace, I meant no offence," Harry apologized. "But you are correct, I am wondering why I have been invited to your castle, to eat with the Dai-Onna. I am honored."

He took the food Miyu offered him, missing the way she and the Dai-Onna exchanged glances. "I have created quite a bond with my other guests," the Dai-Onna explained, "and I would like for you to lift your curse off of my friend Beau here." Again, she ran her fingers through Beau's hair in an almost protective manner.

Harry looked at Beau. "Hello again, Beauregard," he greeted. "I was wondering how my curse was progressing. It would appear that it is progressing quite well." Beau flung some of her food at him in the most childish manner imaginable. "Quite well indeed," he said softly, wiping food off of his face.

"Turn me back!" Beau yelled at him. "Turn me back!"

"Have you learned your lesson yet?" Harry asked.

"What lesson!?" Beau yelled back. "You just made me a child to be an asshole!"

Harry rose from his seat and walked over to her. The Dai-Onna put her hand on Beau's shoulder as Harry reached out and took her arm, the one with the glyph. Before anyone could react, before the Mighty Nein even knew what he was planning, the glyph glowed bright orange, expanded from her skin, and then clamped back down on her arm, the glow no longer leaving.

"If you have to ask, you didn't learn," he said simply. Beau let out a scream of fear as she looked down at the glyph, which was glowing menacingly at her. Miyu stood furiously from her seat and threw a spell, which solidified into an icicle that stabbed him through the chest. Harry stumbled backward and looked at the Dai-Onna with a look of betrayal before he fell down, blood seeping from his body onto the immaculate floor.

Beau grabbed the Dai-Onna's hand and tugged it to get her attention. "Fix me!" she screamed. Miyu and the Dai-Onna looked at each other with the same disappointed look on their faces.

"Such a waste of a perfectly good meal," the Dai-Onna commented softly as she looked back at the dead wizard.

"Wait," Fjord said, trying to hold back the anger that was rising, "is...is the curse permanent now?" Silence followed his question. "I asked you a question!" he yelled.

"Hold your tongue!" Miyu yelled, but backed down when the Dai-Onna placed a hand on her shoulder. The queen let out a long sigh, a pained look on her face before she spoke to her second in command, speaking in their mother tongue in a tone that could only be described as distressed.

"If the curse is permanent, no one can break it, right?" Yasha asked, the situation shocking her into denial. "Someone has to be able to do something, right?"

"It is permanent, Yasha," Caleb replied. "It's too late now."

The Dai-Onna slowly opened her eyes after taking a moment to compose herself, looking back at them. "There is one person who can help."

\-----

Fresh air. Clean air. Caleb took a deep breath, allowing the scent of flowers and soil to fill his lungs, the wind passing through his hair as he looked up at the castle looming before him and the Mighty Nein.

"It's so hot here," Miyu commented. At some point she had changed into a lighter dress, no longer in the many layers she wore back at the castle. The Dai-Onna had also changed into a lighter dress, hers in much darker shades of blue, royal and navy and all shades in between, she looked very different. Much paler than she already did, but also somehow more alive and more approachable.

Soft cries came from Beau, who was resting against Fjord's shoulder. "Who are we here to meet?" he asked as he patted her back in an effort to calm her. "Can you guarantee she will help?"

The Dai-Onna looked up at the castle and shook her head. "No, I can't guarantee she will help," she answered, "but I will try and convince her."

"Who is she?" Yasha asked. "I'm honestly done trying to get help from strangers."

The Dai-Onna looked at them and let out an annoyed sigh. "She's my sister," she explained. "Her name is Visenya, she's...more powerful than I am."

"If she's your sister, why wouldn't she help us?" Fjord asked. "Doesn't family help family?"

The Dai-Onna shook her head. "Not our family," she answered. "My sister and I have never had a good relationship and I we haven't spoken in many years now. Our last conversation didn't end well."

"But we can absolutely trust her," Molly said sarcastically. Before anyone could reply, and most of them were going to, a gust of wind blew through the area and a shiver went up Caleb's spine. He turned around in time to see another woman appear and the similarities between her and her sister were eerie, to say the least.

"I wish you would have told me that you were coming, Oyuki," Visenya commented, crossing her arms over her chest. A young, bright orange fox ran around her feet and yipped at her, begging to be petted.

"It was an emergency situation," the Dai-Onna replied, "I didn't have time to warn you."

Visenya looked at the Mighty Nein, tilting her head curiously as she looked over each of them. "Alright, you have my attention," she finally said. "What was this emergency that your big sister needed to fix so badly that you couldn't tell her you were coming?"

The smiles they gave each other would seem genuine to the untrained eye, but the Mighty Nein could see the truth behind them from how much they had seen it back at the castle. The Dai-Onna turned to face the Mighty Nein.

"The little one is cursed and needs your help to break it," she explained, pointing to Beau. "You know I do not possess the power to break the curse of another."

Visenya nodded her head. "Yes, father did limit your powers quite a lot," she answered. "Well, I think it would be best for us to go to my castle, it will be much more comfortable there." She held her hand out before her and opened a portal for them to clamber through.

Once they arrived in the castle, in a room full of plush seats and couches, clearly used for entertaining and comfort, Visenya put Beau on one of the couches and sat down beside her. She took Beau's arm in her hands, inspecting the glyph on it with a focus unseen before by the Mighty Nein. She ran her fingers over the glyph, muttering to herself in a language none of them recognized.

"I can break it," she announced after a while, "but it will take time. If there are others you would like to be with you, I would suggest you bring them here."

"Well, I think we can all agree that we want Jester and Nott here," Molly commented, "but we have no way to get them here. We can't bend space and time the way you three can."

"That won't be a problem," Visenya said. "I'm sure my sister will take you to get them."

The Dai-Onna glared at her, but turned to Miyu, who nodded. "Someone will need to come with me," Miyu said, turning to the Mighty Nein. "I fear your friends will try to kill me if you do not."

"I'll go," Fjord offered, stepping up to her. "Beau's fine without me for a bit." He looked over at her and she nodded at him. "Alright, let's go."

Miyu took Fjord's arm, and then they were gone. The Dai-Onna was noticeably more uncomfortable without Miyu there with her, but in an effort to seem unfazed, she took a seat on one of the couches. 

Visenya stood and led Beau into a room, most likely an office of some kind from what glimpse Caleb got before the door shut behind her. With nothing else to do, he sat down on one of the couches and waited. Molly joined him, reaching out and taking Caleb's hand in his own, neither one speaking. Yasha sat down in one of the chairs opposite them, fiddling with her hands nervously.

"She'll be fine, right?" she asked when she could no longer take the silence. She didn't mind it normally, but in that moment she found she couldn't stand it. "Right?"

"I hope so," Caleb answered, "but I do not know for sure."

Yasha opened her mouth to say something, but Molly cut her off with a "Let's not talk about this". A shiver ran down his spine, his body shaking visibly, and leaned against Caleb.

"Are you alright, liebling?" the wizard asked, wrapping his arm around Molly, rubbing his arm. "You are shaking."

"Just tired," Molly replied.

"That's understandable," Yasha said, "you've had another long day."

Molly shivered again. "I swear, these women want to kill me," he muttered. "What did I ever do to them?" Caleb patted Molly's head, careful to avoid his horns. He didn't feel like getting stabbed in the palm.

"You should try and rest, liebling," Caleb suggested. "The others will be here when you wake up." Sleep sounded nice, so Molly adjusted himself so he was comfortable and closed his eyes, the promise of seeing everyone soon lulling him to slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I think the next chapter will be the last one, but I have ideas for a sequel. Hopefully I can get the next chapter up soon.


	12. Chapter 12

Silence. It was the first word that came to mind when Caduceus entered Visenya's castle via teleporting scary lady. They appeared in what seemed to be a living room, full of plush chairs and sofas, and he could make out shapes,  _people_ , occupying them, but he couldn't make out who. He could guess, he could always guess. He was good at guessing.

At first, when Fjord, Jester, and Nott appeared at his temple with the strange snow lady, he was reluctant to go with them. Then, when the situation was explained to him, he was a little upset they hadn't come to get him, but that quickly faded to understanding. He was so far away from them and they had very little time. He was glad they had thought to get him at all, all things considered.

They all carefully made their way to the open seats and couches, even Jester, who was normally so loud, as to not wake the others. He could make out the vague shapes of Caleb and Molly occupying one couch, fast asleep, Molly leaning against Caleb, Caleb with an arm around Molly. Yasha had fallen asleep in an almost completely upright position on one of the chairs.

Nott climbed onto a chair and made herself comfortable, then promptly fell back asleep. Fjord and Jester took a seat together on one of the open couches, a little baby in the warlock's arms. Caduceus had been informed that the baby's name was Milo and he was Molly and Caleb's adopted son that they had found on the side of the road. Milo was awake, but struggling to maintain that status, but reached out for Molly and Caleb upon seeing them.

"Should we wake them?" Jester asked quietly. "He clearly wants them."

Before Fjord or Caduceus could answer, Milo made a noise. Not a sob, but a noise that alerted them that if he didn't get his way, it would be. Caleb, ever the light sleeper, stirred at the sound. In the near complete darkness that had enveloped the room, he couldn't see the baby, but he definitely recognized the sound of that not-sob-but-close-enough and instantly began looking for him. His eyes landed on the new arrivals and softly shook Molly.

"Is it done yet?" the tiefling asked tiredly, not even bothering to open his eyes.

"No," Caleb replied.

"Then leave me alone."

Caleb huffed. "Liebling, Milo is here." Rubbing his eyes, Molly sat up and scanned the room for him, his eyes landing on the little bundle in Fjord's arms. He was happy to see him, reaching out for him. The two couches were close enough that, with some shuffling and musical babies, Milo was in Molly's arms without anyone needing to get up. His happiness turned to slight irritation upon seeing what his son was wearing.

"Jester, why does my son's onesie say 'I love the Traveler'?" he asked, turning to his friend.

"Because it's cute and it's true," Jester replied firmly. Molly shook his head and pulled Milo to his chest and then leaned against Caleb again.

"He'll worship the Moonweaver," Molly told Caleb softly, making sure Jester couldn't hear him. It would do no good to start a scene in a stranger's home.

Jester looked up at Miyu, who was standing awkwardly, though she hid it well, a bit separated from the Mighty Nein. "Why don't you come join us?" she asked sweetly, patting a chair beside her. It looked like it had been moved at some point in the past, due to its position, and no one had bothered to put it back where it belonged.

Miyu looked at the seat with something akin to disgust. "I do not sit without the permission of my queen," she stated, looking over at the Dai-Onna, who was looking out over the garden. She seemed distracted, and the way she sat with her back straight betrayed a sense of discomfort. Miyu made her way over to her queen and spoke to her in their mother tongue, taking a seat after a time. Milo looked over at the Dai-Onna when he heard the tinkling of the diamonds on her headpiece, mesmerized by it and how it glowed and shined in what pale light there was.

Milo wasn't falling asleep, no matter what Molly tried to get him down for the night. Deciding to try to walk around, though it hadn't really worked in the past, but he had nothing else he could try. When he stood, Caleb stood as well, wrapping an arm around his waist and leading him away from the group. "Isn't it rude to wander around someone's home without their permission?" Molly asked, though he didn't really care. He was intrigued by the palace and wanted to see more, but he was also scared of the sorceress that lived there. With Caleb with him, though, he felt a little more bold.

"Perhaps, but I do not think she will notice," Caleb replied, "but I also have a feeling she will not mind. I think she would prefer that over a screaming baby while she is trying to break a curse."

He had a point. Molly rubbed Milo's back, knowing the baby would be cranky later when he woke up again, but didn't think about that at the moment. It was a problem for later, so later he would deal with it.

They found themselves walking down a hallway that led to an area surrounding a courtyard, encased on all sides by walls. There were staircases on all four sides so one could go down if they chose, or they could sit above and look out at it from a balcony seat. It was pretty, with soft lights brightening the area. After walking around the entirety of the courtyard, Milo was finally asleep.

"Promise me something Caleb," Molly said, his voice barely above a whisper in the still air. Caleb didn't speak, just looked at him, silently telling him to continue. "When we get back, and Beau is better and full sized and everything, we fucking retire."

Caleb let out a soft chuckle and nodded. "Ja, that sounds like a good idea," he agreed. "I do not know if the others will want to do that, though."

"I don't care about the others," Molly replied. "As long as they don't get us killed, I'm fine with them still doing this bullshit. I just don't have the energy anymore, and I'm fucking tired of almost dying."

Fair point. Caleb pressed a kiss to his cheek and rubbed Milo's back softly, being sure not to wake him. "We have been here for a long time," Caleb noted, looking back out over the courtyard, noting the way the sun was rising and painting the sky in shades of blue.

"Mmm," Molly said, also looking out over the garden. "I hope Beau's better soon. This whole ordeal has taken up way too much time."

"Perhaps we should make our way back," Caleb suggested and began to lead the way.

\-----

No one wanted to, but everyone fell asleep in the living room, with the exception of the Dai-Onna and Miyu. They looked up briefly from their conversation when Caleb and Molly re-entered the room, but quickly diverted their eyes to each other again. It was rude to stare, after all.

It was a strange sight, the Mighty Nein taking up so much room in a stranger's house. Caduceus took up an entire section of the floor, wrapping himself around the little table so he could actually lay stretched out. Nott was curled up in the fetal position on the chair she was sitting in earlier, Yasha was half on the couch she was sitting on earlier, half off of it, Fjord and Jester were sleeping in an upright position against each other on another couch. Caleb and Molly were both exhausted, but they had no idea where to sleep, considering they had a baby to think about as well. There was more room over by the two Yuki-Onnas, but that would be weird.

They managed to find some space against the wall where they could lay down. They snuck a pillow from Yasha, who didn't even budge, and placed Milo on it so he could at least be comfortable. Begging for sleep to come, both Caleb and Molly found they couldn't actually fall asleep, too occupied with watching the baby sleep, making sure he was safe and didn't wake up.

"How much longer do you think this will take?" Molly asked. "I don't think I can deal with him waking up while we're here with nothing to satiate him."

"Soon, I hope," Caleb answered, eyelids heavy but still not closing. "I will feel more comfortable back at the Pillow Trove."

Molly rubbed Milo's back softly, enough to soothe him into staying asleep. Caleb still found it strange to see Molly like this, he never came off as the type that wanted a family or would want to have a domestic life, but here he was, soothing his son and wanting to go home and retire from...whatever they were.

After another hour of being tired, Caleb and Molly finally fell asleep, both of them with a hand on Milo's back protectively. They got a few peaceful hours of sleep before that was utterly disturbed.

The door of the office Visenya and Beau had gone into slammed open suddenly, Beau standing in the doorway. "I'm back bitches!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Everyone bolted upright, except the Yuki-Onnas, who had disappeared at some point while everyone was sleeping. Beau immediately regretted her decision once the sleeping Milo woke up and started screaming. "Ohmygod, I'msosorry!" she exclaimed and rushed over to him, scooping him up into her arms before either of his parents could do so. Of course, being the cause of his distress, Milo tried to push her away and cried even harder.

"Shh, shh, come here," Caleb said, taking him from her. He started calming down a little, but he was still shaken and crying. The others crowded around them, using sweet voices to try and calm the baby down, but being surrounded by so many people only made the situation worse. It didn't help that Caduceus was a giant firbolg that Milo hadn't met previously, no matter how nice he looked.

"Okay, here's a question," Molly said, raising his voice to be heard over his son's screams, "how are we going to get home?" The Mighty Nein deflated at the thought, as no one had an answer for him.

"I can help you with that," Visenya answered, magically mending her door and wall as she walked out of her office to join them. She held up a hand and created a rift in reality, through which the Nein could see the outside of the Pillow Trove. They looked up at her in confusion. "I'm more powerful than my sister for a reason," she answered with a shrug. "Now, this one's upset," she said, patting Milo's head, and he looked at her in such confusion that he actually stopped crying, "I think it's best you get him home."

As soon as her hand was removed from Milo's head, he started crying again, though not as badly. It was almost as if he was upset that he was leaving her. Molly pushed the idea from his mind and followed the rest of the Mighty Nein through the portal to the safety and comfort of the Pillow Trove.

Once there, the Mighty Nein made their way down to the bar, except Molly who went to try and calm down Milo. Beau sat down heavily at the bar, letting out a content sigh and ordered an ale. "God, it feels so fucking good to be back," she said, taking the mug handed to her with enthusiasm, dropping a little of her drink as she did.

"It's good to have you back," Fjord replied, raising his drink to toast her. Everyone else joined him, raising their mugs, cheering with him in Beau's favor.

"It kinda sucks Molly isn't here with us," Jester commented. "This is something he'd have fun doing."

"What?" Beau asked.

"Drinking." Both Beau and Caleb couldn't help but laugh at Jester's deadpan answer.

"Well," Caleb said once he finished his drink, "I should head up to bed before Mollymauk kills me. Good night. It's good to have you back to normal, Beau." He waved his hand haphazardly as he made his way upstairs to crawl into bed with Molly and Milo, the other characters waving back just as unenthusiastically. The lack of adequate sleep was catching up with them, Beau's sudden declaration of being fixed having disturbed that. After everyone finished their drinks, they stood and made their ways upstairs to go back to sleep as well.

Before entering her room with Jester, who looked longingly at Fjord and almost went to join him instead, Beau placed a hand on her chest and let out a long sigh. She smiled when Jester gave her a look, nodding to let her know she was fine with her friend going to another room for the night. Nott looked scandalized, but Beau waved her over to join her for the night. Beau smiled to herself as she watched Nott shuffle into the room and looked at the other doors that belonged to her friends. "It's good to be back," she muttered, entering her room and collapsing on her bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the last chapter of this fic. I have plans for a short sequel, though, to show what the lives of the Mighty Nein are like after this whole situation. So keep an eye out for that. :)


End file.
